US History
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Unit Title- The Bill of Rights and Political Developments Early in the United States
Unit- This annotated resource library is intended to serve as a resource for a unit on the following topics
The creation of the Bill of Rights
Amendments to the Constitution
The implications of the Bill of Rights and Amendments today
Peaceful transfers of political power
Democrats versus Federalists
Early conflicts for the American Government
Grade- 9th grade United States History I (1763-1877). Designed as a semester course on block scheduling of 80 minute periods.
Length- 2 weeks- 9 lessons- one holiday during the first week in this case
Class make up- 23 students, 2/3 have IEPs
Massachusetts State Learning Standards- USI- 11-21 THE RESOURCES
1) www.billofrights.com
This is a wonderful online resource that has the major primary documents of the early American government including the Bill of Rights. It also has the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and other past documents. Having the original text of the documents is something you can get anywhere, what separates this website from the others are the additional contextual questions and resources. The website is extremely user friendly and is all free of charge. I find it quite easy to navigate and use the supporting documents in many different ways depending on time constraints.
2) http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=209113
This is the History Channel’s website. This encyclopedia helps to define all the major actors in different times in American history. The website has many features including potential activities to do and ways to teach the about the different concepts and times. I think any history teacher who fails to use the History channel website at all is missing out. The video clips can also be helpful but as I mentioned later with the DVD set can be problematic trying to work off of the BPS computers.
3) http://www.americanrhetoric.com/newtop100speeches.htm
This website provides all the audio clips free of charge for some of the most important speeches in American history. This is a wonderful data base for modern political speeches. In this context implications and lasting impressions of the Bill of Rights are discussed in Martin Luther King Jr- speech # 15, President Lyndon Johnson- speech # 10, and Mary Terrell- speech # 44. These speeches outline how the Bill of Rights and the Civil War Amendments have failed to live up to their potential. These speeches can provide students with an audio as to what people during the Civil Rights Movement thought about the Bill of Rights and the accompanying Amendments.
4) http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/
This is PBS’ free website which provides a lot of background information as to who Thomas Jefferson really was. Visuals, activities, readings, and background information are all available here. The Sally Hemming controversy, Jefferson’s slaves and other issues in the life of Jefferson are outlined in a simple manner. The reading materials are easily accessible, requiring little background knowledge or high level vocabulary. The website is also a great resource for many other types of information on American history.
5) http://blackhistory.com/cgi-bin/blog.cgi?cid=54
This website is free to access with the submission of an email address. This website provides resources to allow students to look at the same events in US history through a different perspective. Essays about the lives of African Americans from the early parts of American history allow for students to see what the Bill of Rights really meant to minorities at the turn of the 18th century. The website also provides students with access to many other issues that minorities faced throughout the beginning of the United States that is usually left out of the commonly used textbooks.
6) http://www.commondreams.org/
This free website allows students to see different ideas people from around the world have about their hope for democracy. The website is left leaning but talks about the promises of America and the hopes embodied in the Bill of Rights. Many of the articles on the website provide a modern perspective to ancient political issues such as the peaceful transfer of power and how that often fails in many third world countries. Students can gain experience in seeing how political issues evolve over time as countries try to establish themselves. Students can us the website or the readings to see how problems America had during its formation are many of the same issues that challenge new democracies today.
7) http://millercenter.org/
This website is the home for the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia (UVA). This website has a ton of great resources in regard to the formation of America as it is the focus of the program at UVA. The online reference source for the Presidents provides more than just a summary of their lives. Student can use this to take an in depth look at who the people were that ran the country and what their lasting legacies ended up being.
8) History Alive! Textbook. Available as the classroom textbook for most BPS schools. If a different version is used, it is available through the other high schools. On the one hand I cannot believe I am listing this as it generally is pretty bad and is also an obvious resource. On the other hand, the images collected for the early American history era are really good and it can be overlooked. Not all good resources must be complicated and hard to find. I mainly use the textbook as a visual resource. The visuals in the Chapters on the Bill of Rights can be used hand in hand with Constitutional issue cases. The early American political system images are also quite helpful in outlining the differences between the Federalists and Democrats.
9) Washington and His Colleagues: A Chronicle of the Rise and Fall of Federalism by Henry Jones Ford. The book is actually available totally online through http://www.gutenberg.org. This is a fictional account of George Washington’s great dilemmas and issues that he and the country faced after the Revolutionary War. The chapters tell different accounts in a somewhat fictional manner of how he hypothetically dealt with different challenges. The text is not as exciting as a fiction novel, nor does it create the character development many fiction books do, but it is decent in its approach and material. The reading level is fairly high, so it is probably best used as brief portions rather than trying to read the entire text.
10) Common Sense by Thomas Paine. I have a Penguin Classics copy that was $4.50. You can obtain it from most libraries. The document is directly pertaining to the Constitution and why it needs to be supported but it can help students gain a background for the political issues at the time and why a Bill of Rights was necessary to get the Constitution passed and the country moving forward. The document convinced many to support the Constitution and work toward the Bill of Rights. The wording can be a bit difficult as it is original text so scaffolding is probably necessary if the text is not adapted ahead of time.
11) The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History edited by John Grafton. Similar to Common Sense this resource can be purchased for relatively little or can be rented from the local library. I like this specific text because it gives even more original documents than the bill of rights website. Lots of background information surrounding the Bill of Rights and the issues in early America with the Presidential Addresses of Washington and Jefferson. These speeches give the students a chance to work with the text of the time first hand and contemplate the issues following the passage of the Bill of Rights. Like the previous resource, some scaffolding or rewording of text is necessary here as the rhetoric can be quite challenging.
12) Jefferson in Power: The Death Struggle of the Federalists by Claude G. Powers. This is available online for less than $3. Do not buy a new copy, they are quite expensive and many used copies are available. The book is fairly high level in regard to reading level but is a great resource for understanding the beliefs of the Federalists and Democrats around the election of 1800 which is usually hard to find. The readings provide opportunities to take out excerpts to look at certain pieces pertinent to the election of 1800.
America: Classics That Help Define the Nation
13) America: Classics That Help Define the Nation edited by the Modern Library. This is available for purchase mainly at Amazon and Borders. I was unable to find it in the library searches I conducted so purchase might be required, should be under $10. This resource is wonderful for documents throughout American history, not just early establishment quandaries. This is a great resource for people who do not have the time to edit the original documents or scaffold the readings in the previous sources but would still like their students to gain some original perspective. The original speech and writings are edited to ease the understanding for lower level readers. Potentially a good resource for differentiation when used in conjunction with the original documents located in the previously mentioned resources.
Constitutional Law for a Changing America 5th Edition: Rights, Liberties, and Justice
14) Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties, and Justice by Lee Epstein and Thomas G. Walker. This book can be purchased but is fairly expensive, in the $40 dollar range. A much better bet is to check the library. The Boston Public Library has a copy as did some other libraries when I checked. This is a great resource for students to see how the Bill of Rights is applied today. Students can read about different cases which have defined just what freedoms the Bill of Rights gave and what limits they have. The text has original opinions from the justices of the Supreme Court but also provides summaries and background information to help with understanding. The images in the book are also wonderful and can be used irrespectively of the book if it is so desired.
Leading Cases in Constitutional Law: A Compact Casebook for a Short Course
15) Leading Cases in Constitutional Law byJesse H Choper, Richard H Fallon, Jr., and Yale Kamisar. This resource is a higher level version of the previous text. This has longer versions of judicial decisions and important Bill of Rights cases without as much background and summary text. The book contains no visuals. This is a higher level text than the previous one and should be used through scaffolding carefully. A great challenge for higher level readers when use to differentiate with the previous text.
The Dynamic Constitution: An Introduction to American Constitutional Law
16) The Dynamic Constitution: An Introduction to American Constitutional Law by Richard H. Fallon, Jr. This is available for purchase on all major websites for under $10. This book provides the background to Supreme Court cases and decisions through time dealing with the conflicts in the Bill of Rights and subsequent Amendments. The book does not contain any actual opinions from the justices. This is a great resource for wanting the students to grapple with the Amendments today without taking the time needed to read the actual opinions of the justices. The book is very efficiently organized so the readings can be separated easily without losing meaning. The organization allows you to quickly find what you are looking for the students to read without having them spend time on additional text you find less important.
17) Time Magazine. Special 1776 issue. Independence! Actually published in 1976. This is available for viewing in some libraries and can be purchased on some websites. This is not an easy find but it is worth it! This fictional magazine has articles written as if it were in the time period. This helps students to take a perspective they rarely get. It is has many great individual articles and pictures. It does take some time to glace through. Usage of this resource is not quick or simple, but is wonderful. Students have liked comparing it in the past to current news articles in their style. It is a great way to develop student’s abilities to take perspectives and try to think about the viewpoints at the time. The fake advertisements in the magazine also provide some humor and additional learning opportunities for the ways media and technology have changed our lives through advertising.
18) Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen. This is a class resource and should be something already purchased. The 5th chapter provides an idea of how racism has been a tradition in the context of America and how textbooks fail to confront it. This is a fairly challenging text for high school students but can be read with some assistance or scaffolding. It is a wonderful starting point as to why the textbook is not enough when looking at the history of America. Usage of portions of this chapter is a great way to introduce looking at history from multiple perspectives. Since this is a unit conducted early in the semester it is a perfect launching point for students to challenge their textbook and create questions they wanted answered.
19) The Presidents. (DVD) History Channel. It is on sale now for under $20 online. This set is available for purchase and very helpful to looking at any time in American history. This DVD set provides students with a short look into the issues in the Presidents various terms. The segments are pretty short which is great as they present a lot of information without taking an entire class period. The DVD is organized in a way that you can just jump from President to President and even show just small portions of a Presidential term. The audio coupled with the visual has always been well received in the past by my students. The segments are short enough that they can be watched without having concentration issues that come with full classroom length videos. Portions of the videos can be obtained from the History Channel website. However, be careful with assuming you can play a video off the website in BPS as often times it is disallowed due to filters.
The Jacksonian Era and the Era of Reform
[Matthew Watson - sorry this is so ugly. My margin and tab parameters are not translating well. Obviously. But I wanted to get this on here for now. Would appreciate any advice on cleaning it up.]
Annotated Resource Guide
Matthew D. Watson
The Course
Context: Second Semester of year-long course “U.S. History I” taught to ninth-grade students at Excel High School at the South Boston Education Complex
Units 1 & 3: “Jackson and the Growth of Democracy” (9 days)
“The Era of Reform” (10 days)
Classes: Period 4 – Ninth Grade, Inclusion, 29 students (55 minutes per day)
Period 6 – Ninth Grade, Inclusion, 25 students (55 minutes per day)
Limitations: No laptop cart or reliably available computer lab; students’ use of websites limited to projected image of teacher’s computer screen; classroom is very small and shared with a math class, both of which allow for little flexibility in seating arrangements (jigsaws, stations, groups larger than two or three are problematic).
The Textbook
Hart, Diane, et al., eds. History Alive! The United States. Palo Alto: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2002.
♦ This is the official course textbook. It is heavily illustrated and “sectionalized,” and, from my experience, easily readable and digestible for most of my ninth-grade students. My mentor teacher relies on it as the students’ primary source of information and has trained students to access it by taking a modified form of Cornell Notes. I intend to follow in the practice, but to hopefully shift the textbook into functioning as a repository of basic information that will serve as a backdrop to more in-depth studies.
Background Sources for Teacher
Davidson, James West, et al., eds. Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of the American Republic, Volume I: To 1877. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2001.
♦ Nation of Nations is college-level textbook that attempts to maintain narrative momentum while still engaging the “sub-headings” of American History in some detail. It also emphasizes up-to-date (in 2001) engagement with recent scholarly developments. In my preparation it will function primarily as fuller treatment to nuance the broad- strokes history of the courses primary textbook. Teachers who feel that they are learning U.S. history as they go will benefit from this text’s concentrated focus through Reconstruction as well as its ease of reading. The updated 2005 edition is available on Amazon.com from $8.00 for used copies.
Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. Trans. Joseph Ward Swain. New York: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1915.
♦ I included Durkheim here because I feel that the public school teacher needs to establish some working-theory that will inform the way he or she presents and speaks about what is essentially a religious history. “There are just some things we can’t explain…” is just as useless an explanation as “God did it.” The social sciences offer many working-theories and models (see Weber below) that attempt to describe and, to a certain extent, explain religious phenomena without trespassing into the metaphysics of the matter. Durkheim’s notion of “collective effervescence” (II.7.iii) is one such attempt that I think is particularly helpful when talking about the orgiastic, distinction- destroying revivalism of the Second Great Awakening, the spirit of which was mediated through participatory oratory, anxious meetings, and sunrise prayer groups. Similarly, for Durkheim, when concentrated in religious ceremony and “in certain determined moments, the collective life has been able to attain its greatest intensity and efficacy, and consequently to give men a more active sentiment of the double existence they lead and the double nature in which they participate.” In ceremonial events of religious culture, the sociologist observes, the individual can be transported beyond his day-to-day sense of himself into something larger, grander, and intensely motivating. Oxford World’s Classics edition is available new for $10.17 on Amazon.com.
Hofstadter, Richard. The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1948.
♦ Not only is Hofstadter’s first major work a classic in political portraiture, but it offers the busy teacher brief counterpoints on a variety of often caricatured political figures. Hofstadter’s portraits achieve their unique insight by identifying or juxtaposing their subject with novel themes in the wider American experience. Chapters relevant to units 1 and 3 include “Andrew Jackson and the Rise of Liberal Capitalism,” “John C. Calhoun: The Marx of the Master Class,” and “Wendell Phillips: The Patrician as Agitator.” I feel that, whatever realignment social history has achieved in the past several decades, there are, for teachers and students alike, simply some historical characters worth dwelling on and coming to know in some depth. Used copies available on Amazon.com from $0.13 and from $10.85 new.
_. Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. New York: Random House, 1962.
♦ Hofstadter’s survey of American anti-intellectualism, although it reaches at one extreme into the 1950s, begins with the evangelicalism, politics, and reform culture of the early- to mid-nineteenth century. I tend to follow Hofstadter’s lead in identifying the peculiar antipathy toward learning and the corresponding veneration of the emotional life that originated roughly in the Second Great Awakening and specifically in the work of Charles Finney as a first order factor in the emergence of the popular politics, public discourse, and proclivity for association that typified the antebellum years. The revivalism of roughly 1815 through the mid-1830s—when Charles Finney departed the revival circuit for Oberlin College—took an already healthy strain of American iconoclasm to its extreme. Any treatment of the central themes of “Jacksonian America” is incomplete without reference to this influence. Available new for $12.21 at Amazon.com.
Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
The narrative of this recent Pulitzer Prize-winning historical synthesis treats the central years of the second half of U.S. History I’s scope, from the end of the Battle of New Orleans through the United States’ victory over Mexico (1815-1848 out of roughly from 1800-1877). Howe portrays these years as an era of expansion—territorially, industrially, of the technologies of transport and communication, and of the power of political parties. Although Howe attempts and achieves narrative momentum across his 904 pages (bibliographical essay, index), each chapter stands alone as a discrete topical study. Thus Jackson’s presidency and the issues surrounding it, the Second Great Awakening, and the reform movement are each the focus of multiple chapters. Additionally, Walker’s footnotes are a commentary on the books that have proved themselves historiographically significant over the past 20 years and suggest avenues of inquiry into more micro studies of the topics he takes up. What Hath God Wrought is available new from Amazon.com for $23.10.
Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Trans. Talcott Parsons. New York: Routledge, 1992 (1930, first English Edition by Allen and Unwin).
Religion is not all ephemeral stuff; according to Weber it can pay. There are two uses for Weber’s most popular work in the second half of U.S. History I: First, and most obviously, the Early Republic and Antebellum years were a time when the U.S., particularly the North, grew simultaneously very rich and very religious. As the story goes, colonial and early America tended to be populated by the more ascetically- oriented—and less jolly—branches of Protestantism. For these groups, happiness would only be obtainable in heaven and “[w]aste of time [was the] first and in principle deadliest of sins” (104). This, along with the “importance of a fixed calling” provided “an ethical justification of the modern specialized division of labor” and made the United State’s economic growth inevitable (109). Weber’s classic formulation has been surpassed but still stands as a powerful and relatively accessible model for understanding America’s ardent religiosity in connection with its wider social and economic trends. Second, and less well known, Weber’s characterizations of the ethical and emotional tendencies of each major branch of Protestantism are pithy, insightful, and, from my perspective, accurate (see esp. chs. 4 and 5 for this). Such portraits, like Hofstadter’s of politicians, are always useful to the teacher struggling to enflesh a collection of loose biographical facts. The Talcott translation, which I believe is still the standard, can be had in a Dover Value Edition for $5.00 on Amazon.com.
Classroom Sources
“Andrew Jackson” (Lesson Plans and Primary Resources) at USHistorySite.com
♦ Accessible at http://ushistorysite.com/andrew_jackson.php
♦ The website is divided into two sections “Lesson Plans” and “Primary Sources.” The primary sources section has only two documents, but there are links to dozens of primary sources (though some do not work) from the various lesson plans. These hyperlinked lesson plans are the golden geese of this website.
♦ Website maintained in the service of high school American history teachers. Organization is a little obtuse, but manageable. Site offers a variety of sources, all of which seem keyed to the high school mind. Site will serve well the history teacher’s two perennial interests: teaching students to analyze primary sources and to synthesize information from multiple sources.
♦ There are three lesson plans on this website which I plan to borrow from: “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Expansion of the Voting Base,” “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics,” and “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Territorial Expansion and the Shift of Power.” Although the lesson plans are, in my opinion, disorganized and do not display the purposefulness articulated in their titles, they are replete with links to other Jackson primary written and visual sources, short biographies, historical voter participation statistics and corresponding maps, a potentially classroom-ready short essay on Andrew Jackson’s “Old Hickory” image, as well as a PDF digest of amendments to the federal and states constitutions regarding voting rights leading up to the 1828 election.
♦ The strength of the site is its links, particularly its links to visual primary sources. Newspaper articles in their original typeset instead of transcriptions, charts of voting statistics, color coded historical election and territorial expansion maps, and relevant Harper’s Weekly cartoons. For the teacher willing to dig a little, this site promises some modest finds. No homeruns, though.
“Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil, & the Presidency” at PBS.org
♦ Accessible at http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/edu. Menus are easily navigated. Colorful, classy presentation.
♦ This website merits a solid bit of browsing. Its focus on Andrew Jackson does not constrict its scope, but lends focus to its breadth. The soul of this website is a two-hour documentary film narrated by Martin Sheen. The film is divided into chronological and thematic chapters with titles like “Wild Young Man,” “War Hero,” and “First Modern President.” These divisions are, in turn, further subdivided. The chapter “First Modern Hero,” for instance, is subdivided into “First Days in Office” and “The Eton Affair.” The former segment is 3 minutes 15 seconds long and shows actors frolicking in the White House, the latter, 4 minutes 38 seconds long and tastefully but provocatively treats the amorous political episode. Each segment is also accompanied by three “related links.” For “The Eaton Affair” segment one the links connects to a page that discusses “The Power of Women” in nineteenth-century America.
♦ Useful for teaching students how to take notes on a film and interpret what a documentary is trying to convey through its narration, images, and use of commentators.
♦ The PBS documentary reproduced in usefully divided segments on this website is perfect supplement (and in some cases, substitute) to the background information provided by the textbook. If I can skip a section of the text by showing a segment of the documentary, I consider it a good trade.
♦ The documentary on which this website is based passes the “school test” for such films. That test has but one standard, and asks but one question: are there actors. The answer in this case is yes. It is nearly cinematic in the telling of its narrative. Visual learners and movie-goers alike will appreciate this complex, but entertaining treatment of Jackson.
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Boston: The Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.
♦ Unabridged Narrative accessible at the Berkeley Digital Library at http://sunsite3. berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/
♦ Eleven chapters, not including instructive prefaces by William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips. The Dover Thrift Edition is 100 pages.
♦ As with any of the primary sources of this era, Douglass’s Narrative forces students to contend with mid-nineteenth century prose, but mollifies this demand through the engaging style of Douglass’s storytelling. The Narrative offers many one- or two- paragraph asides that make for wonderful primary source excerpts for use in a jigsaw or similar activity. For instance, there is a paragraph at the end of Chapter III in which Douglass discusses the reasons why so many slaves claimed to be content with their lot in life (masters were know to employ spies—both black and white—to ascertain the morale of their slaves). It is a short excerpt that could be combined with several others to help students appreciate the tensions involved in slave life, or perhaps as part of an attempt to answer the question: Why didn’t the slaves just run away?
♦ In my third unit, which deals with the Era of Reform, many portions of the Narrative could prove useful in establishing the context in which the abolitionist movement unfolded. In the eleventh chapter, for example, there is a surprising passage in which Douglass criticizes the Underground Railroad and its operatives as, to translate, too cocky. This passage could serve as an engaging avenue whereby to approach the division over means which characterized the abolition movement.
♦ The playfulness and action-orientation of Douglass’s writing will undoubtedly make the Narrative engaging primary source reading (compared to alternatives) for most students.
Douglass, Frederick. “Independence Day Speech” at Rochester, NY (July 5, 1852).
♦ Accessible at TeachingAmericanHistory.org: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/ library/index.asp?document=462
♦ A fourteen-paragraph speech. First-rate irony in plain language. For those in Massachusetts, it is also among the “Seminal Primary Documents to Read.” (Although I find its listing under the “Economic Growth in the North and South, 1800-1860” section of the standards a little puzzling. I think it would wear better under “Social, Political, and Religious Change, 1800-1860.” As for me, I plan to use it in my Era of Reform unit.)
♦ Douglass’s speech is a pedagogical bonanza in its connections back to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, as a primer in irony and public speaking generally, and at the same time as a foreshadowing of John Brown’s weariness of mere talk (“For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”) I think there is a wonderful bit of room here to talk about what may be the primary fault of democracy: indecisiveness. That a nation can carry on for decades bearing the tension of two irreconcilable positions in its being and be said to possess an “enlightened” form of government is not an obvious proposition.
♦ I will probably use this speech to highlight Douglass’s career as an African-American abolitionist and to discuss how a society’s conscience is rarely located within its governmental structure. This latter aim is of a piece with what I hope to illustrate through engagement with the Antebellum reformers.
♦ Any student interested in writing, speaking, rapping, sermonizing, Obama, or drama should be drawn to this piece. It cries to be read aloud. It embodies the ironical distance between America’s founding ideals and the racism, slavery, and compromise that had characterized its treatment of blacks since its founding.
Finney, Charles G. Sermons on Important Subjects. New York: John S. Taylor, 1836.
♦ Accessible in digital form at http://www.gospeltruth.net/1836SOIS/indexsois.htm
♦ A selection of twelve of Finney’s popular early sermons. Sermons like “How to Change Your Heart,” “The Traditions of the Elders,” and “Why Sinners Hate God” gives us insight into the ideas and type of preaching that were so influential in the early and mid-nineteenth century.
♦ For a variety of reasons, the interpretation of a sermon requires a different analytical approach than, say, a political speech and requires separate training (i.e. while it is the strategy of good political oratory to engender in its hearers a sense of well-being, solidity, and virtue that they had not felt before, a good nineteenth-century evangelical sermon made its hearers aware of previously undetected sins, depravities, and impending punishments). Sermons also typically derive more explicitly from particular doctrines than do political speeches. In any event, the sermon merits particular attention as a distinct form of American communication culture and students should learn to analyze it as such.
♦ I am planning to use one particular sermon, “Sinners Bound to Change Their Own Hearts,” to introduce students to the Christian theological concept of regeneration and to explain the alteration that concept underwent in the Second Great Awakening. In order to make the sermon more accessible to my students and to focus on the portions of it that serve my purposes, I have created an abridged and edited version of the sermon.
♦ Students interested in theology, philosophy, religious development and culture, and oratory will be engaged by a close study of Finney’s sermons.
Miller, Perry, ed. The Transcendentalists: An Anthology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1950.
♦ Miller’s anthology is out of print, though readily available in any academic library or on Amazon.com.
♦ Annotated excerpts (107 total) from well-known and less well-known American Transcendentalists, including forerunners (Sampson Reed), stalwarts (Emerson, Thoreau), and peripheral figures (Orestes A. Brownson). 521 pages, bibliography and index.
♦ The wide selection of usually short and always well-annotated excerpts are useful for exercises in context building, textual analysis, synthesis of multiple sources, and nuancing the typical presentation of Transcendentalists.
♦ I had originally hoped to do more with the Transcendentalists that it now looks like I will have time for. For anything more than a cursory treatment I would almost certainly turn to Miller’s anthology to demonstrate how Transcendentalism was a part of a wider American Romanticism.
♦ Will be appreciated by students interest in philosophy, writing, or intellectual history.
“The Second Great Awakening and the Age of Reform” at TeachUSHistory.org
♦ The website is divided into four sections: Overview, approaches, articles, and resources. All are useful. I think the “approaches” section is especially helpful. It lives up to its billing and suggests approaches to the Second Great Awakening from a variety of quarters. Each of its seven angles of approach consists of a link to a series of annotated resources. These include: “The Revival Experience,” “The Revival and Anti- Slavery,” “Dorothea Dix: Unitarian Reform,” and “Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.”
♦ The summaries and brief introductory essays that populate this site are ideal for the teacher seeking to fill out his or her background knowledge of the Second Great Awakening, as well as for students to get a more nuanced and detailed treatment of the revival than is typically available in secondary textbooks. But most importantly, any teacher with a bent toward attempting an historical “signature pedagogy” instruction will appreciate the wealth of primary sources available on this site.
♦ I think the selection of converts’ stories from—get ready—The Testimony of a Hundred Witnesses; or, The Instrumentalities by Which Sinners are Brought to Embrace the Religion of Jesus Christ from Christians of Different Denominations (1858) would make a wonderful introduction to the types of soul-concerns that haunted many nineteenth-century Americans and how they found their resolution in “conversion to Christ.” The same section also contains links to Finney’s description of the 1830 Rochester revival and of his own conversion as a young lawyer. The narrative of anxious sinner/the power of preaching/joy in Christ was a central narrative in the nineteenth- century mind and is worth exploring.
♦ Students interested in religion, authentic experience, oratory, or mass movements will connect to with the materials offered by this site.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden; Or, Life in the Woods. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854.
♦ Walden and other Thoreau sources are available online at The Walden Woods Project, under the “Research” menu on the left side of the Project’s homepage. The text itself is accessible at http://www.walden.org/Institute/thoreau/writings/walden/Walden.htm
♦ Walden is a difficult book. It requires dedication and patience of even the purposeful adult reader. That being said, it also possesses passages of universal appeal. Chosen wisely and linked in students’ minds to a clear purpose, Walden can prove a rewarding source.
♦ Thoreau’s greatest work can be used as a commentary on many of the important themes of nineteenth-century American life: transcendentalism, war, slavery, the market economy, social reform, etc.
♦ There are several passages, particularly in Chapter II “Where I Lived and What I Lived For,” that I think will offer an eloquent dissent from the religious- and organization- oriented reforms of the antebellum era.
♦ Students who find the majority of class too facile for the depth of their adolescent experience and feeling may connect to Thoreau the philosophical hermit, and perhaps even to Thoreau the poetically-tempered local traveler.
Truth, Sojourner. “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech; delivered in May 1851 at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio.
♦ Frances G. Gage’s original (though retrospective) transcription available at Fordham’s Modern History Sourcebook at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth2.html, but I would suggest the modern-language version that appears in Wikipedia’s treatment of the speech at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%27t_I_a_Woman%3F (you may recall that Truth’s first language was Dutch, and unfortunately Gage was quite taken with this detail).
♦ This is a short, visceral speech. In its modern-English rendering it should take about two minutes to read, silently or out loud.
♦ “Ain’t I a Woman?” is pedagogically useful on two counts. First, it is an excellent example of rhetorical humility in the tradition of Socrates and Shakespeare’s Mark Antony (in Julius Ceasar). Truth was tall and strong and sometimes confused for a man. Yet in this speech she appropriates the rhetoric of womanly meekness to great effect. I like to take every possible opportunity to put before students examples of effective writing and speaking.
♦ The second use of this piece is as a window into the internal tensions of the women’s movement. Often led by men, often excluding African Americans, the women’s movement was not progressive in the purest sense. And yet this fact only indicates that similar aggregate of motives and assumptions comprised all nineteenth-century—and perhaps all modern—reform movements.
♦ Truth’s speech offers students a vibrant woman’s voice in an era whose public life was dominated by male words. Truth is also a colorful and engaging figure. Her personal travels, exploits, and friendships alone could supply the basis for several college courses. Also, students will most likely relate with her raw physicality and volubility.
Whittier, John Greenleaf. “Clerical Oppressors” (1836)
♦ “Poems by John Greenleaf Whittier” on Read Book Online. A wide selection of poems, most annotated, arranged alphabetically and by subject. Accessible at http://www.readbookonline.net/books/Whittier/141/#Poem
♦ “Clerical Oppressors” is a short, twelve-stanza poem excoriating the South’s pastors and priests for lending their religious authority to the pro-slavery political stance of the southern states. The poem does contain some archaic language and difficult vocabulary (addressed in my attached annotation of the poem), but overall very readable.
♦ In the same vein as my above comments on the pedagogical utility of Finney’s sermon, I believe that reading a poem as an historical artifact is a special skill separate from simple historical interpretation and not likely to be covered in language arts courses. The poem offers an occasion to work through some of the thinking involved in such interpretation.
♦ In addition, I plan to use “Clerical Oppressors” to complicate the notion—which I will on other occasions expressly advance—that evangelical religion was the basis for much of the North’s antebellum culture of moral reform. It is important to note that nearly identical religious views were made to undergird the intellectual defense of slavery in the South.
♦ Poetry humanizes history. Any time it can be brought to bear it will (hopefully) enliven students’ interest in, deepen their empathy with, and make more memorable their study of a given topic.
1. Zinn, Howard, A people's history of the United States : 1492-present.
New York : HarperCollins, c2003.
Classic text that offers good readings to counter the narrative of textbooks
Helpful in offering stories that illustrate issues of power throughout US History
At times a more difficult and less organized reading format
For Unit 1- Industrialization read the chapter Robber Barons and Rebels p. 253-295
2. Zinn, Howard, Voices of a people's history of the United. New York : Seven Stories Press, c2004.
Has lots of primary sources – speeches, documents,
Offers a variety of sources and is very well organized
Includes great short introductions to the readings
For Unit 1- Westward Expansion read chapter 7: Indian Removal p. 133-149, specifically use “The Cherokee Removal Through the Eyes of a Private Solder” or “Two Statements by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce”
3. Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation. NY: Metropolitan Books: 2008
An excellent addition to the Zinn collection, includes drawings and interpretations of the same historical narrative of his People’s History
A good resource for reluctant readers or ELL learners
It may not include enough on every topic, but can be used to amplify textbook readings
· For Unit 1 – Monopolies and Railroads read the chapter The Internal Empire, specifically “Certain White Men” and “The Pullman Strike”
4. Takaki, Ronald T., A Different Mirror : a history of multicultural America. Boston : Little, Brown & Co., c1993.
This is a very readable and enjoyable narrative about an alternative view of American History
It tells the story of different groups and how they experienced American policies and government
It may have to be cut down or used in pieces to be more accessible to high school readers
·For Unit 1 – Westward Expansion and Railroads read the chapter Toward the Stoney Mountain – From Removal to Reservation, specifically the final pages 101-103 that discuss the specific conflicts of Native American encounters with the railroads
5. Garcia, Juan, Harley, Sharon, and Howard, John, One Nation Many People: The United States Since 1876. Globe Fearon. c1996.
Excellent textbook for ELL learners
Has a good balance of breadth and depth for coverage
Has great first person narratives and personal stories about the Indian Boarding schools
Has vivid pictures and recorded interviews about the experiences at the boarding schools
The two stories offer a great contrast between the past and the present
· For Unit 1- Westward Expansion to examine the effects of policies on culture and helps students understand the losses inflicted upon the Native Americans
Essential Question: Does where you live say anything about who you are?
Unit Objectives: SWBAT: · Understand what it means to work effectively in groups. · Analyze the Homestead Acts effect on Exodusters and homesteaders. · Compare the perspectives of different groups in the West including Native-Americans, Cowboys, Exodusters, and Farmers and Miners. · Understand the development of the transcontinental railroad and analyze its assistance in moving West. · Understand reasons people move. · Conclude whether where you live says anything about who you are. Length: 5 days including the first day of the semester
Grade and Class Title: 10th grade US History II
Student Population: 25 – 31 students, inclusive classrooms, approximately 1/3 of the class has IEP’s or decoding difficulties
Guiding Massachusetts curricular framework: 10.4 Analyze the causes of the continuing westward expansion of the American people after the Civil War and the impact of this migration on the Indians. (H) Total Items: General Use Sources – These sources can be used within the classroom.
1. Danzer, Gerald A., Klor de Alva, J. Jorge, Krieger, Larry S., Wilson, Louis E., & Woloch, Nancy. (1999). The Americans: Reconstruction through the 20th Century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.
2. McDougal Littell: A Houghton Mifflin Company. (1995 – 2008). The Americans Class Zone. Retrieved 12/08/2008 from http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/americans05/book_home.htm?state=MA
a. This is the textbook and the textbooks website.
b. The website is particularly useful. It has blank maps and primary source documents. The nice thing about the primary sources on this site is that many of them are useful and first-hand accounts of the people who are experiencing the problems or successes of American society.
c. The website also provides brief chapter quizzes, audio readings of the information, links to many of the books sources and other important information.
d. This is one of the richest resources I have found. Although it is not necessarily teaching out of text, it gives so many different options for the differentiation within the classroom – i.e. primary source, audio reading of the text, visual maps, etc. In particular, the maps and primary sources are quite useful.
e. It is a great place to find resources when you are looking for primary source materials for your class or when you might run out of information.
3. Kansas Historical Society. (2008). Exodusters. Retrieved 12/08/2008 from
4. Kansas Memory Website. (2007 – 2008). The largest colored colony in America – advertisement. Retrieved 12/18/08 from http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/332/page/1
5. Kansas Memory Website. (2007 – 2008). All colored people that want to go to Kansas, on September 5th 1877, can do so for $5.00 – advertisement. Retrieved 12/18/08 http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/702/page/1
a. Audio clip approximately 15 minutes in length. Accompanying documents from the website of the advertisements that are discussed within the podcast.
b. Differentiates and is good for learners that need to hear things and see things. Won’t work as well for kids that struggle with decoding. Possibly consider creating a transcript of the session or cutting the learning into parts for the kids to process.
c. The site has applicable local Kansas history that can be used as contrast for many periods of American history. They have podcasts and various links to other sites.
d. The Kansas memory website offers primary source documents that correspond with the podcasts. Hence, the advertisements are visuals that can be used with the audio to give students a visual of what the advertisements of the time might have looked like.
6. History Channel Website. (1996 – 2008). American History Videos: Westward Expansion. Retrieved 12/08/2008 from (Look under the Videos: Era tab on the tool bar and click that to help find the videos or search for westward expansion on the website)
a. Website source from the History Channel. The site has written, audio and visual movie clips on westward expansion among the countless other subjects it has in American History. Useful for the West is the video clips, which it currently has about 15 minutes of information about the Gold Rush. They are short two - three minute clips. They also have some general information on the history of the West.
b. This website does not limit the user to just westward expansion topics. It has games, it has audio clips and it covers topics of both American and World History. It is a wonderfully rich resource.
7. Wounded Knee Museum Website. Exhibits. Retrieved 12/15/08 from http://www.woundedkneemuseum.org/main_menu.html
8. Cankpe Opi Tiyospayehttp – Wounded Knee Community. Wounded Knee Community website. :cankpeopitiyospaye.tripod.com/
a. Both these sites present views of the Wounded Knee information past and present.
b. There are some excellent exhibits, which may be usable for a Webquest or for less supervised scavenger hunt. The readings are pretty easy and the exhibits on the site are particularly good – the Wounded Knee Museum Website. The second site listed has some audio accounts of the Wounded Knee Community.
c. Great also for a teacher to expand on their own content background.
9. Bower, Bert & Lobdell, Jim. (1999? sorry textbook I have is badly damaged). History Alive! The United States: Chapters 15 - 17. Unclear again where published. (Pp.201 – 245)
a. Textbook.
b. Useful for differentiated instruction when using the text. Reads at a middle school level, but can be utilized in conjunction with some of the History Alive! Experiential learning activities, which may contribute to higher cognitive learning.
c. The book tends to follow the pacing guide from BPS pretty well and seems like a legitimate source especially when you need rich material with entry points for many students.
d. Careful using the textbook though. I think – this is based on my observations of the History Alive! Activities - that the text is a collaborative with the activities. Therefore, it might be good to center units around the text and activities together or carefully plan, which material to use from the text.
10. Zinn, Howard, Konopacki, Mike & Buhle, Paul. (2008). A People’s History of American Empire: Ch I The Internal Empire and Ch II The Spanish-American War. New York, NY: Metropolitan Books.
a. The book is a graphic interpretation from Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States: 1492 to Present. b. The book is 288 pages and includes interpretations on events at Wounded Knee and The Spanish-American War, both contributors to the Westward Expansion and Tensions in the West
c. A great way to differentiate instruction; the text is easy to read and the art work is provocative and excellent. The stories are also historical interpretations so it is a great way to introduce historiography and the fact that history is drawn, written, and interpreted differently by different people.
11. Our Shared History: African American Heritage. (????). Stories to Tell: Stories of the Great Westward Expansion. Retrieved 12/18/08 from http://www.nps.gov/untold/banners_and_backgrounds/expansionbanner/expansion.htm
a. This website shares three stories of westward expansion for African-Americans during the 1800’s. The three stories detail the life of George Washington Bush (ironic enough in name alone), tales of the Exodusters, and the Moses Speese Family.
b. The readings are not overly difficult, but do require some prior knowledge about reasons for moving and understanding of segregation and discrimination of African-Americans of the time.
c. All three stories have a strong sense of humanity that the students might be able to engage with. They also ultimately show success through perseverance, which is a great tone to the lesson.
12. Youtube Smithsonian Education. (2008). Westward the Course of Empire takes its way – Reading a historical painting. Retrieved 12/19/08 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yfkvIQuq7s
a. This four-minute youtube clip is produced by the Smithsonian Education. The moderator is the senior curator of the American Smithsonian Art Museum.
b. The major point of this clip is an examination of the famous “manifest destiny” painting titled “Westward the Course of Empire”. The clip is meant to discuss how one reads a painting.
c. The material is difficult to understand so scaffolding is needed to help students understand the observations the curator makes. However, it is a great skill piece and could serve to introduce reading primary source historical paintings or photographs.
13. The Gold Rush. (????). All About the Gold Rush. Retrieved 12/19/08 from http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/allabout.html**
a. This website is maintained on an Iowa State server.
b. Webquest friendly or scavenger hunt site. It has short passages that tend to cover the people, places and events that were happening at the time of the California Gold Rush.
c. Links to videos and other websites that relate to the movement westward at the time. The website responds and follows the PBS video timeline of the Gold Rush. Might be good to look into the Gold Rush.
14. Smithsonian Institution Source Website. (????). Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans and the role of the government. Retrieved 12/19/08 from http://www.smithsoniansource.org/content/dbqs/westwardexpansion/impact_westward_expansion.pdf
a. A DBQ created by the Smithsonian Institution on the Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans and the role of the government.
b. Great primary source documents that could be used to teach the conflicting perspectives of the Native American and the government intentions and utilization of the concept of Manifest Destiny. Possibly a great way to introduce DBQ’s to a class that might not have done them before. It is a complex way to introduce what will have to be done on the MCAS.
a. Primary source documented that aligns with state and Boston recommendations.
b. Part of my pre-assessment, which will subsequently be used in the immigration unit. Teacher Only Use Sources – These sources should primarily be used for your own edification or for classes that have the ability
16. Deloria, Vine. (1985).Behind the Trail of Broken Treaties: An Indian Declaration of Independence. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.
a. Based on the excerpts I have read it seems like a legitimate source for a teacher to improve content knowledge. It seems to talk about the treaty making process and I think it could be a text that a teacher could use to consider empowerment through government associations.
b. It is 300 plus pages so it might be considered for a summer reading.
c. Down-side of the book is that it seems to focus on some past history, but really brings itself to the present – 1972 through today.
17. Turner, Frederick Jackson. (1920). The Frontier in American History. Recreated essays retrieved on 12/19/08 from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/TURNER/ - Also available on Google Books or amazon search
a. Books for a teacher’s edification.
b. It is 360 pages and discusses everything from settlement in the Massachusetts Bay Colony through social movements west.
c. It is an older book, but based on the passages I have read it seems like it would offer an interesting perspective of the movements west not long after they happened. As some bait to read it, Frederick Jackson Turner wrote it while at Harvard University. **
"A House Divided": Lead-up to the Civil War
[contributed by Kay Thompson]
Introduction: Unit Title: “A House Divided:” Rising Tensions in the New Nation, 1800-1860 Essential Questions:
By 1860, who was “in” and who was “out” in American society?
Was the Civil War inevitable?
How can we as historians make one story out of many primary and secondary documents?
Length: 4 weeks (19 class days) Grade: 7th and 8th Student population: Inclusion class of 22 students each, 20% with IEPs, several ELL students Guiding Massachusetts Frameworks: US History I 29, 35-41 Major topics: Slavery as experience, as economic institution, as embedded institution; differences between North and South; early anti-slavery agitation; political fractures and compromises 1820-1860
1) 1776. (1972). Musical film. “Molasses to Rum to Slaves.” Can be accessed online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCVG1UNj5Y
2 hour musical about the writing of the Declaration of Independence; the 3 minute excerpt that is relevant to the Civil War is the song about the pragmatism of the slave trade for New Englanders—powerfully performed by Edward Rutledge of South Carolina. Other excerpts show the way that the southern colonies forced Jefferson to delete the passage of the declaration that condemns slavery.
Especially useful for visual learners, but printed lyrics might also be useful for students who have difficulty with English.
Timeline of racism in the 19th century as developed by thinkers like Lamarck and Hegel. Could be used as one of the jigsaw pieces in the lesson on racism and slavery, as a way to get students to think more broadly about racism.
This secondary source shows how historians bring together primary sources and analyze them—in this case, chronologically.
This museum and the Heritage Trail would make an exciting field trip for the end of this unit, which pays much more attention to slavery than it does to blacks in the north in the antebellum era. It would be a great connection for students to be able to walk in familiar areas and recognize the history connected with them.
The field trip would probably take a day (and fundraising) that as yet I have not planned for—but might be willing to do if I thought it would be very beneficial and if the students were interested enough.
A long document but useful for teachers in showing how slavery and racism developed hand in hand. Could be excerpted for use in class—some of the information is particularly useful and interesting.
A higher reading level—the teacher would need to be available to answer questions, and ideally students would read it in mixed groups.
Again, a secondary document that demonstrates how to use primary sources to construct something bigger.
5) Burns, Ken, dir. (1990). The Civil War. Documentary film.
9-volume, 11-hour documentary of the war; a canonical piece that integrates period music and famous actors and personalities providing voices for quotes. Utilizes the “Ken Burns effect” of panning across photographs and visuals from the period, while the narrator (David McCullough) outlines the events of the war, focusing on a few characters.
Too lengthy and dry to use the whole film in class, but clips could be valuable introductions to each unit or for use as “hooks.” Even if the narration is dry, it is thoughtfully written and at times thought-provoking.
The soundtrack also has a great sample of period music, even though the film’s opening theme, which has become famous, is the only piece not written during the period (according to the PBS website).
Visual learners might benefit in particular from using the film/its summaries outside of class, especially if a textbook summary is difficult for them to process.
6) Chomsky, Marvin J. et al., dirs. Roots. (1977). Television miniseries. ABC network. Accessible at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQGJwA0vCwo (This is at the end of the first episode)
A dramatic representation of the slave trade and slavery, based on Alex Haley’s novel Roots. Easy to understand, great for visual learners, compelling story. Clips would make a great hook to begin a class on the slave trade. The film is a great example of how historians can imagine the past and bring it to life—although what they show on screen is not necessarily true to life.
Some parts may be inappropriate for middle school audiences, especially at the beginning when Mandingo women are represented as topless.
Students who were once Reading Rainbow fans will appreciate seeing LeVar Burton.
Provides numerous resources for teaching about Lincoln, including re-enactments of the 1858 debates with Stephen Douglas. Transcripts are also provided.
Although the debates are somewhat dry, watching a short clip could be a good hook for when we talk about the debates in class and what people were thinking on the eve of the 1860 election as slavery became a more significant issue.
8) Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. In Jordan, Winthrop. (1968). “The Simultaneous Invention of Slavery and Racism,” from White Over Black. Accessible online at http://www.sammustafa.com/Resources/slavery.pdf
This is a first person narrative from a slave who escaped and was able to go back to Africa. I would use it with the lesson on slave narratives in general.
It is a dense 4 pages—highlighting and excerpting would be helpful to those students who have difficulty reading, but if it is a group activity, other group members may also be able to help.
Great primary source that, if used in conjunction with others, could help students develop a general picture of the Middle Passage/enslavement experience.
9) Fontaine, Peter. “A Defense of Slavery in Virginia.” (1757). Published on PBS’s Africans in America website. Accessible at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h6t.html · A primary source text that justifies slavery; could either be used on the day we talk about how southerners viewed slavery or when we talk about racism and slavery.
10) Ford, Lacy. (2008). “Reconfiguring the Old South: ‘Solving’ the Problem of Slavery, 1787-1838.” In Teaching the Journal of American History: June 2008 (Vol. 95, no. 1). Accessible online at http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org/teaching/2008_06/ · The article itself is available from the website and would be useful background to teachers—it discusses how white southerners rationalized slavery, with special attention to Madison and Jefferson, among others. · It is 28 pages long and somewhat dense. Some of the important material could be cut out for use in a lesson on how slavery endured in the South. · There are resources for teachers on the website, including lesson ideas and primary sources that are used in the article. 11) Hakim, Joy. (1999). A History of Us: Liberty for All? New York: Oxford University Press.
A middle school level textbook.
Text is dense, lots of quotations and visuals; a narrative history, but without typical textbook features like key terms or section headings.
A couple of the chapters deal with slavery, and there is one related to political compromises and Daniel Webster.
12) Hakim, Joy. (1999). A History of Us: War, Terrible War, 1860-1865. New York: Oxford University Press.
A middle school level textbook.
Again, text is dense, lots of quotations and visuals; a narrative history, but without typical textbook features like key terms or section headings. Only the preface deals with the lead-up to war.
Contains questionable claims like, “Slaves were valuable, so most owners didn’t abuse them. But some did.”
There is an interesting chapter on Harriet Beecher Stowe which could be used in conjunction with excerpts from Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
This database contains thousands of scans of slave narratives as heard by (white?) writers. Interestingly, the narratives have been interpreted and are NOT direct transcripts of what the narrators said. They seem to be 5-10 pages, double-spaced, in length.
Would be very interesting for advanced students on our slave narrative day—these are difficult because of the alternative spelling used to denote African American speech.
The website is fairly easy to browse through by name—a worksheet could easily be created to help students see some of the patterns of the narratives.
15) Lyons, Mary E. (1992). Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs. New York: Scribner.
146 pp.; middle school reading level. This is a fictional account based on the autobiography of Harriet Jacobs.
The first part of the book would be very useful for the slave narrative lesson, but we would not have time to read the whole book as a class. Other parts of the book deal with Harriet’s escape from slavery and her life in the north.
16) National Geographic Society. (2001). “Civil War.” Geokit: American History Series. Teacher’s Guide.
Useful resource with ideas for lesson plans for middle school; also comes with primary source handouts, slides, and transparencies. Teachers can cut and paste ideas from the relatively short plans provided.
Lesson 1 contains several ideas for introducing the rising tension between north and south, including a dramatic re-enactment, using a primary source to think about slavery as an institution (I will borrow this), and interpreting art.
17) Teachers Curriculum Institute. (1997). History Alive! The Civil War and Reconstruction. Teachers Guide.
This teachers’ guide provides a variety of useful activity ideas, along with lesson plans, placards, and slides, for middle school and high school.
Activity 1.2, a role play exercise on compromises between the north and south, would be useful in a lesson on the growing tensions between the two regions.
This piece is already excerpted from the original, but is still difficult—to have students read it would require some guidance.
A good primary source document to use in talking about black advocates who spoke out against slavery as rotation or jigsaw.
Constitution/Reconstruction (1877-1896)
[Tina L. Fletcher]
Tina L. Fletcher's
Annotated Resource Library
Honors US History II since Reconstruction Unit #1: Reconstruction/Constitution (1607-1877) Essential Question: What does it mean to be an American? How has the Constitution the definition into what it is today? Length: 3 weeks Grade: 11th grade Honors US History II Student Population: 25 MA Framework: USII.1 – USII.4
Major Topics: Draft of the Constitution (1776); Civil War (1861-1865); Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863-Dec. 18, 1865); Lincoln Administration; Slavery (1607-1865); Reconstruction (1863-1877)
Resources: Book(s)/Novel(s): Jubilee (497 pages) · Walker, Margaret. Jubilee. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999. · Relevancy: Jubilee offers an in-depth look at the one-drop rule’s impact on race relations before and after the Civil War. The one-drop rule basically states that any individual with any Black within them is considered Black. · Key Terms: Slavery, bi-racial slaves, race relations, south (Georgia and Alabama), southern slavery during Civil War, family units during slavery, reconstruction · Skills: Reading and possibly writing (if a writing piece is administered), critical thinking for class discussion · Intended Use: I plan to use this resource during the section on slavery in helping students better understand some of the social interactions (between slave and slave master) occurring during slavery that they may be unfamiliar with. · Who May Benefit: Students who are curious about the subject and those interested in learning a distant aspect of the time period will benefit in that they will better understand the social interaction between whites and Blacks.
When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection (149 pages) · Yetman, Norman R., ed. When I Was a Slave : Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection. Minneapolis: Dover Publications, Incorporated, 2003. · Relevancy: This text allows students to read first hand the experiences of slaves in America. The narratives are detailed and accounts for slaves from the North (i.e. Baltimore) and various states in the South. Great primary source resource for activities involving the study of slavery. · Key Terms: slavery, servitude, injustice, etc. · Skills: Intended Use: I plan to use this resource for the lesson pertaining to the study of slavery. It will serve as the ‘text’ station within the day’s activity. · Who May Benefit: Students and teachers interested in learning more about the day-to-day lives of slaves will enjoy reading their book. Teachers interested in expanding their content knowledge of the subject will received a better understanding of the time period and the practice after reading this source.
The Social Fabric: American Life from 1607-1877 · Hartshorne, Thomas L., Robert A. Wheeler, and John H. Cary. The Social Fabric. New York: Longman, 2002. · Relevancy: A select few of the primary resources included in this text will allow students to study the difference between lifestyles and living conditions in the North vs. the South during the Reconstruction period. · Key Topics: Social justice, race relations, civil rights · Skills: Reading, writing, note-taking skills (if necessary), and critical thinking · Intended Use: I plan to use this source during the lesson on Reconstruction’s outcomes. This lesson will focus on the aftermath of the implication of the Reconstruction plans. · Who May Benefit: Teachers and students who enjoy primary resources will enjoy this source. A teacher interested in reading more first-hand accounts will also gain knowledge from this text. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South · Reed, John S., and Dale V. Reed. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know/South. New York: Main Street Books, 1997. · Relevancy: Sections of this text will give students a better understanding of term and stereotypes that define much of the South, its traditions, and norms. · Key Topics: People, places, terms, practices, musical artists, actors/actresses, athletes, etc. (all from the south) · Skills: Critical thinking, reading, note-taking, transferring gained knowledge to conversation · Intended Use: I plan to use this source during the discussion on Reconstruction and the differences between the North and South before, during, and after the Civil War · Who May Benefit: Students and teachers unfamiliar with cultural and social norms of the South (outside of stereotypes and ways in which the media has presented the South) will find this text to be of particular interest.
History of the United States · Jenkins, Philip. History of the United States. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. · Relevancy: This book offers an in-depth look at particular moments within out country’s past. Written in a form similar to that of novels, it allows readers to learn the same content through textbooks but in a novel format. It covers American history content from 1492 to present but more specifically 1865-1996 for this unit. · Key Topics: Civil War, Reconstruction, Conquest of the Far West, Industrialism, Urbanization, Crisis’ of the 1890s, Imperialism, Progressivism, WWI, Great Depression, New Deal, Global Crisis, WWII, Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, Age of Globalization · Skills: Reading, Note-taking, Writing, Critical Thinking · Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. I also plan to assign readings from the text for the students to utilize during Think-Pair-Share activities. · Who May Benefit: Teachers! American History teachers who are interested in expanding their content knowledge will most likely find this text helpful. A People’s History of the United States. · Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. · http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html · Relevancy: Text covers much of the events occurring in America’s past from Columbus to the Clinton administration. It allows student and teachers to examine a more humanistic view of the American government, its leaders and their relationships with minority groups and others countries/foreign leaders. A People's History is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. · Key Topics: “The Other Civil War”, Vietnam, Socialist Change, Clinton administration · Skills: Reading, Note-taking, Writing, Critical Thinking · Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. I also plan to assign readings from the text for the students to utilize during Think-Pair-Share activities. · Who May Benefit: Teachers and students who enjoy primary resources will enjoy this source. A teacher interested in reading more first-hand accounts will also gain knowledge from this text. On-line Study Guide(s):
Facing History and Ourselves · //http://www.facinghistory.org/// · Relevancy: This site allows students to review certain aspects of history through a more social conscious lens. It also allows students to link choices that America made to the morals they are taught in their day-to-day lives. · Key Topics: Social justice, race relations, civil rights · Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing · Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. · Who May Benefit: Teachers! American History teachers who are interested in expanding their content knowledge will most likely find this text helpful. World History teachers who will be teaching about WWI and WWII may also find reading Brinkley’s sections on the War’s helpful. History Alive! Civil War and Reconstruction · Website tutorial reference: http://tutorial.teachtci.com/ · Relevancy: This section of the History Alive! collection offers teachers the opportunity to cover much of the content focused on the Civil War and Reconstruction period while also offering activities and worksheets for class instruction. · Key Terms: Civil War, Reconstruction, · Skills: reading, writing, critical thinking, adding to classroom discussion · Intended Use: I plan to use this resource pretty much throughout the entire first unit. · Who May Benefit: All students will most likely benefit considering most of them may not have retained or gained any knowledge of the Civil War or Reconstruction period. As a teacher, this resource can also help further content knowledge of the two areas. Films:
Amistad (152 minutes)
Amistad. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Djimon Hounsou and Matthew McConaughey. DVD. 1997.
Relevancy: The film is a great exemplar of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Many resources depicting slavery in America fail to portray the conditions of the slave trade and the fact the Caribbean played a major role in the trade.
Skills: Critical thinking, reading/writing for the worksheet activities that may accompany the viewing of the film
Intended Use: I plan to show a clip of the film during the lesson on slavery, specially the clip portraying the trip across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and then the Americas.
Who May Benefit: Students who are unaware of the details of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade will benefit from a more practical look at the trade in progress. Students who are simply interested in learning more about the topic or those who are into the topic already will benefit from the information.
Gettysburg (254 minutes)
Gettysburg. Dir. Ronald Maxwell. Perf. Martin Sheen and Tom Berenger. DVD. 1993.
Relevancy: Gettysburg is a film portraying one of the most well known battles of the Civil War.
Key Topics: Civil War, internal disputes, internal warfare, etc.
Skills: Critical thinking, reading/writing for in-class activity
Intended Use: I plan to show a clip from the film during the lecture on the Civil War in allowing the students to see that the North and the South both has strong points within the war and that neither side continuously had a much bigger advantage.
Who May Benefit: Students interested in war or those unaware of this factor will benefit from the intriguing or new information.
Glory (122 minutes)
Glory. Dir. Edward Zwick. Perf. Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick. DVD. 1989.
Relevancy: Glory is a helpful and educational exemplar of the race related controversies that existed around African-Americans serving on behalf of the North during the Civil War. It introduced the Emancipation Proclamation is overall a good resource for any unit referring to the Civil War. IT also allows Massachusetts students to see that someone significant has occurred near their hometown.
Key Topics: Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation, race relations
Skills:Critical thinking, reading/writing
Intended Use: I plan to show clips of Glory while lecturing on the Civil War and the situations that occurring during it
Who May Benefit: Interested students along with those are uncomfortable but know that the film will be comfortable.
Website(s):
The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution
Lincoln Douglas Presidential Debate(s) · Unknown. "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858." National Park Service: U.S. Department of Interior. National Park Service. 30 Nov. 2008 http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/debates.htm · For Teachers: http://www.nps.gov/liho/forteachers/index.htm · Extra Resource: http://www.debates.org/index.html · Relevancy: This site gives students an actual example of who Lincoln was (or at least who he says he is) in his work. Because many students receive information about Lincoln only through the mouths of their teachers, this site will allow them to see where he stood on certain issues in more depth. · Key Topics: Presidential Debates, Elections, Elected Officials, etc. · Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing · Intended Use:This site will be used during the lessons on the Civil War. At this point, I plan to have a mini lesson on Lincoln, his political and social ideologies, and the ways in which he reacted to certain situations. · Who May Benefit:History and Government/Civics teachers, student who enjoy reading, and students that enjoy the use of primary resources.
Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
Intended Use: I plan to utilize this site when discussing the abolitionists and influential African-Americans of the Civil War Reconstruction time period (i.e. Frederick Douglass).
Who May Benefit: Teachers and students looking to increase their content knowledge about African Americans prior to Black History Month (lol) will find this website to be of a particular interest.
Relevancy: Valuable to lessons pertaining to Reconstruction, its implications and outcomes.
Key Topics: Birth of a Nation, Perspectives of Emancipation, Sharecropping, Politics of Reconstruction, Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction, Impeachment of Andrew Jackson, Carpetbaggers/Scalawags, End of Reconstruction, Presidential Election of 1876
Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
Intended Use: I plan to utilize this site in preparing for the lesson(s) covering Reconstruction. This site also provides content knowledge for much of US History content.
Who May Benefit: Students and teachers interested in learning more about the era and receiving various perspectives pertaining to the myths surrounding the cause of the Civil War and the perceived successes and failures of the Reconstruction period
Slave Reparations Info
Ogletree, Charles. Slave Reparations. Grand Rapids: Fulcrum, 2007.
Henry, Charles P. Long Overdue : The Politics of Racial Reparations. New York: New York UP, 2007.
Brophy, Alfred L. Reparations : Pro and Con. New York: Oxford UP, Incorporated, 2006.
Relevancy: This information is very helpful in preparing the students and I for the slave reparations debate activity that is scheduled to take place on February 3. It also allows them to view the pros and cons of reparation along with viewing the current issue facing the debate of reparations.
Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
Intended Use: Prior to conducting the slave reparations debate, I plan to utilize this site to enhance my content knowledge of the topic in order better mediate any conflicts that may occur between students when giving their opinions. I observed that this can be an issue if the teacher is not sure about a lot of things surrounding the topic.
· Who May Benefit: This site will benefit students or educators interested in the topic. History and Government/Civics teachers can also utilize Dr. Ogletree’s work in learning more about the most present battles over reparations (i.e. The Tulsa Riot of 1922 victims . . . film entitled Before they Die)
Understanding Slavery · http://www.understandingslavery.com/ · Slavery Alphabet Interactive Library: http://www.understandingslavery.com/learningresources/results/?id=4406 · Relevancy: Site gives a lot of information, including some replicas of primary resources, pertaining to many aspect of slavery (i.e. Trans-Atlantic slave trade, middle passage, emancipation, etc.) · Key Topics: Trans-Atlantic slave trade, middle passage, emancipation, etc. · Skills: Literacy; Critical, unbiased thinking (if possible); Cooperative Learning capabilities (if necessary) · Intended Use: I plan to utilize this site to enhance my content knowledge of the topic in order better mediate any conflicts that may occur between students when giving their opinions. · Who May Benefit: Anyone interested in learning more about the topic, educators and students alike, will most likely find this site to be extremely beneficial.
Picture Histories: Post-Civil War ‘Slavery’ Photo Gallery
Smithsonian. Various. 1975. Slavery, The American Experience, Washington, DC.
Relevancy: This site will be a GREAT resource in showing students how the outcome of Reconstruction/emergence of Jim Crow negatively affected African-Americans.
Key Topics: Civil War, Reconstruction, Penal System, Lynching (post-slavery)
Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
Intended Use: I plan to utilize this site during the lesson pertaining to the outcomes of Reconstruction in order for the students to see how the conditions of servitude changed after the end of slavery.
Who May Benefit:All student interested will benefit. American History students and/or World History students (if teaching slavery throughout the world) could benefit from this site.
Textbooks
a) Increasing Background Knowledge/Content Knowledge
The Americans: Reconstruction through the 20th Century.__//
America : The Twentieth Century. Evanston: McDougal Littell Incorporated, 2002.
Relevancy:Brief Intro: Colonization to Reconstruction (American Beginnings to 1877), 7 Units covering Reconstruction to 2000, Understanding Historical Readings, Using Critical Thinking; Print, Visual, and Technological Sources; Economics Handbook, Atlas, Presidents, English and Spanish Dictionary. Summarizes 'New World' happenings from pre-colonization to Reconstruction in Unit 1. This allows students to refresh their memory during the first week of their US History I course. The text also provides many visual and primary sources such as maps, graphs, charts, photos, artwork, and personal statements from individuals living during that time period. The Americans included important key terms in bold that allow students to easily find the 'most important' definitions within each section. Units, chapters, sections, individual headings, etc. are all color coded to catch the student's eye and the headings themselves are very helpful in writing notes.
Key Topics: Historical US History content in detail (1865-2000) and also included a brief history of US History (1607-1865)
Skills: Critical thinking, note-taking ability, reading, writing, etc.
Intended Use: I plan to use the text throughout the year for content purposes.
Who May Benefit: Students who prefer to use books or educators who lack some content knowledge will enjoy the way in which this text is set up.
American History: A Survey · Brinkley, Alan.American History Vol. 1 : A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. · Relevancy: Brinkley’s text covers, in detail, the events occurring between 1865 and 2001 · Key Topics: Reconstruction, Conquest of the Far West, Industrialism, Urbanization, Crisis’ of the 1890s, Imperialism, Progressivism, WWI, Great Depression, New Deal, Global Crisis, WWII, Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, Age of Globalization · Skills: Reading, Note-taking, Writing, Critical Thinking · Intended Use:I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. I may jigsaw some reading from the text in order for students to gain a more in-dept content knowledge of particular sections if I feel that Brinkley explains better than The Americans. · Who May Benefit: Teachers! American History teachers who are interested in expanding their content knowledge will most likely find this text helpful. World History teachers who will be teaching about WWI and WWII may also find reading Brinkley’s sections on the War’s helpful. Additional Resources:
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History by Jeffery C. Stewart
2-5 Worksheets
Honors US History II Miss Fletcher
Name _ Date _ Slavery Vocabulary
assassinate
to murder for pay or for ideological reasons.
blockade
the barring or shutting off of traffic in and out of an area, such as a seaport or city, by hostile military forces.
abolitionism
a policy or principle of slavery in the United States.
fugitive
someone who is escaping or running away, as from the police, persecution, responsibilities, or the like.
recruit
a soldier recently drafted or enlisted into the armed forces.
secede
to quit an organization, a political or religious unit or alliance, or the like.
reconstruction
in U.S. history, the period immediately following the Civil War.
reveille
a call sounded early in the morning to waken or alert people, esp. a bugle call for troops to assemble.
inflation
an increase in the average price level.
emancipation
the act of freeing from some constraint or confinement.
surrender
to turn over or yield to the power, control, or possession of another, esp. under compulsion:
segregation
a policy imposing social separation according to racial or ethnic groups.
siege
a military maneuver in which a fortification is surrounded, subjected to attack, and cut off from supplies or reinforcements until its occupants surrender.
Honors US History II Miss Fletcher
Name _ Date _ Slavery Vocabulary Quiz Directions: Match the vocabulary words on the left with the definitions on the right.
1. assassinate
the act of freeing from some constraint or confinement.
2. blockade
in U.S. history, the period immediately following the Civil War.
3. abolitionism
a policy imposing social separation according to racial or ethnic groups.
4. fugitive
to murder for pay or for ideological reasons.
5. recruit
a policy or principle of slavery in the United States.
6. secede
an increase in the average price level.
7. reconstruction
someone who is escaping or running away, as from the police, persecution, responsibilities, or the like.
8. reveille
to quit an organization, a political or religious unit or alliance, or the like.
9. inflation
to turn over or yield to the power, control, or possession of another, esp. under compulsion:
10. emancipation
the barring or shutting off of traffic in and out of an area, such as a seaport or city, by hostile military forces.
11. surrender
a soldier recently drafted or enlisted into the armed forces.
12. segregation
a military maneuver in which a fortification is surrounded, subjected to attack, and cut off from supplies or reinforcements until its occupants surrender.
13. siege
a call sounded early in the morning to waken or alert people, esp. a bugle call for troops to assemble.
Directions: Answer each question within each of the following sections, all of which pertain to today’s lesson on Slavery. Station#1: Amistad
Based on the information gained in the clip, what is the Middle Passage?
Why do you believe the did what they did?
How difficult was the journey?
#
What is the purpose of creating a film like Amistad?
Who is to blame for the negative impact that slavery had on the continent of Africa?
Station#2: Internet Resource
What is the total estimate number of slaves taken from Africa?
Name the three major locations for which slaves were taken after leaving Africa?
## ##
##
What percentages of slaves were taken to each location?
## ##
##
Draw a mini map of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Label the three locations from Question #2, the primary ocean for travel, and the percentages of slaves taken to each of the locations.
Station #3: Photographs
Select (3) photos and answer the following questions for each.
Photo #1:
Who or what is displayed the photo?
What mental image do you receive by looking at the photo?
How do you feel after looking at the picture?
What do the conditions tell you about the institution of slavery?
Photo #2:
Who or what is displayed the photo?
What mental image do you receive by looking at the photo?
How do you feel after looking at the picture?
What do the conditions tell you about the institution of slavery?
Photo #3:
Who or what is displayed the photo?
What mental image do you receive by looking at the photo?
How do you feel after looking at the picture?
What do the conditions tell you about the institution of slavery?
Station #4: Slave Narrative
In what tone does the speaker speak?
Is the individual seemingly emotional or non-emotional about his/her experience within the institution of slavery?
Does the speaker seem to be a little weary about speaking on their experience as a slave?
US History II The Great Depression
[Contributed by Sherelle Ferguson] INTRODUCTION: Unit Title: The Great Depression Essential Questions: Was the Great Depression a disaster waiting to happen? What was the responsibility of the American government to its people during the depression? Length: 2 weeks (10 lessons) Grade: 10th Student population: 21 students, about 1/3 with IEPs Guiding MA Frameworks: Us History II.11-13 Major Topics: Causes of the Great Depression; Stock Market Crash; Conservative, liberal, and radical solutions; Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt and 1932 election; Policies and programs of the New Deal era, legacy of the New Deal RESOURCES: Comprehensive Materials 1. McDougal Littell, Inc (2007). The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century, Teacher’s Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. [TEXTBOOK/TEACHER RESOURCE]
Great Depression and New Deal Unit: Chapters 14 and 15—pg. 462-522
High school reading level
Chapters cover causes of the Depression, hardship and suffering, Hoover’s role, the New Deal and its critics, focus on how the New Deal affects different sectors of society, culture in the 1930s, and impact of the new deal. Chapters include quotations, focuses on “key players”, images, political cartoons, and short assessments
Teacher’s edition is aligned with pages of students’ textbook and provides additional resources such as lesson plan pacing, lesson objectives, activity suggestions, skill-building lessons, ideas for differentiation.
Textbook is great for reading as homework accompanied with guided reading questions. Also allows students to have personal copies of images that teacher might show in class
All students or teachers may benefit from this. Great for visual learners—littered with charts, images, and organizers. Textbook includes audiovisual materials such as recordings, “Voices of the Past”, good for auditory learners.
2. Goff, Brent. (2008) History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals. Teacher’s Curriculum Institute. [TEXTBOOK/TEACHER RESOURCE]
892 pages complete, includes unit on The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression
Resources include a student edition (high school level) with readings/activities/worksheets, lesson guides, transparencies, CDs with recordings (e.g. FDR’s fireside chats)
Covers same material as textbook above but provides much more guidance for teacher on how to link lessons to essential questions and issues that have relevance to today
In my own unit plan used: succinct reading on President Hoover, simulation-activity—being economic advisors to Hoover, graphic organizers and images on New Deal programs, Graphing Economic Data on the Great Depression and guiding questions.
All teachers and students could benefit from this resource. Activities and lesson plans are conscious of meeting many learning styles.
Over 5000 Great Depression era images from the National Archives, the FDR Library and many other sources.
Photo library divided into topics such as: Art, Civilian Conservation Corps, Education, Tennessee Value Authority, and film. Each image includes bibliographic information as well as a short caption. High quality images.
Resource covers the experience of everyday Americans, New Deal policies and Programs, culture in the 1930s
Can use these images for overhead transparencies/powerpoints to describe the era as well as in visual literacy activities
Visual learners and interpersonal learners will benefit from images and getting insight into individuals’ lives
New York Times articles and lesson plans for middle and high school students
Primary sources—more difficult to understand economic/financial information but contemporary articles provide accessible summaries of the Crash
Students use New York Times articles covering the stock market collapse in 1929 to analyze the reported causes of this stock market collapse, reactions on many levels to the collapse, and speculated short-term and long-term effects of the collapse. Includes analyzing articles from 1929.
In my own unit I have used the articles to create a scavenger hunt worksheet for students to define key terms and understand why the Crash occurred. Could divide them in groups to read articles from different days of October 1929 and then write first-person narratives from perspective of investors.
Great for verbal and visual learners; students interested in journalism or current affairs.
Website includes full lessons and materials for teaching stock market simulation; requires no prior knowledge. Appropriate for middle and high school students. NB: this simulation requires at least 1 week of lessons.
Goal of simulation is to learn and understand basic investing principles, current events, the basics of how the economy works, money management skills, basic math, reading comprehension and writing skills. Differs from typical stock market simulations in that the simulation is not a “contest” to discourage poor investment decisions such as taking large risks.
For my own purposes I might condense the lessons to create a mini-simulation that allows students to grasp the basics rather than playing it out until each individual is left with a sum of money. If played out in full may make presentations on what students learned and the results of their investments.
Great for students interested in current events and demonstrating business savvy. Logical/mathematical learners will benefit; can be modified for kinaesthetic learners so that students have to move to different areas of the room for buying/selling.
525 word article, middle school and high school level
Article describes 14-year old stock market investors, defines stocks, shares, Dow Jones Industrial Average. Can provide a hook for students who may be interested in adolescent making money this way.
Students can create flow charts of what happens to a person’s money when they invest in the stock market; students could research data on Dow Jones and graph; students could write short paragraphs about how interest in the stock market reflects the state of the economy
May benefit logical/mathematical learners
Experiences of Everyday Americans 7.Steinbeck, John. (2002). The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books. [HISTORICAL FICTION]
464 pages, high-school—adult reading level
Novel published in 1939. Set during the Great Depression and traces migration of an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family to California and the hardships they endure as migrant farm workers. Styles alternatives between narrative on the Joad family’s life and poetic prose interludes.
Provides students context of the Great Depression and allows them to connect macroeconomic factors to the life of a particular family. Particularly captures the Dust Bowl.
In my own unit I use excerpts from chapters 1 and 5 with reading questions as a primer to the unit to get students oriented to the feel of the era (over February break). Alternatives: have students read entire book and weave in to unit noting how family’s life was changed by events of Depression; write a play based on the book
Middle-school or high school level resources, student-friendly website
Website provides basic information on how the Great Depression affected children, primary sources—letters written by children and adolescents to Eleanor Roosevelt, information on Eleanor Roosevelt’s participation in various New Deal programs, essay by ER called “Facing the Problems of Youth” and student responses
Resource includes lesson plans with potential activities: have students analyze letters in groups asking whether writing letters is an effective resolution to a problem, evaluating ER’s efforts; students could take on role of one letter-writer and in future lessons describe how different aspects of the Depression affected them; drawing comparisons to youth in modern times
Interpersonal and intrapersonal learners might particularly benefit as well as visual learners who can look at images of youth in the Depression
Particularly effective for verbal, intrapersonal, and interpersonal learners who are able to take perspective of characters. Book also available on CD for auditory learners.
9. Agee, James and Walker Evans. (1940) Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. [NON-FICTION with PHOTOGRAPHY/TEACHER RESOURCE]
471 pages, adult-reading level but text can be excerpted for students
Textual portraits and photographic records of three sharecropper families in the South. There are poems, bits of dialogue, prose as well as 64 photos of sharecroppers. The form of the book itself is experimental. Speaks to the struggle of tenant farmers to survive and maintain dignity during the Depression. Great for developing visual literacy
This resource is most easily used for Evans’ photos which can be used on transparencies in class and for photo IDs on assessments. Students can be encouraged to take perspective of an individual in the photos. Students could also learn how to write photo essays that depict everyday life for farmers
Visual, interpersonal, and intrapersonal learners will benefit from this source as well as students who are interested in literature
10. Terkel, Studs (2000). Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. [ORAL HISTORY]
480 pages, high school reading level
Originally published in 1970, includes dozens of interviews that span the socioeconomic spectrum from ordinary people to public officials who lived during the Great Depression. He asks people how they managed financially and personally during slump. He is particularly interested in exploring their perspective on national issues and society’s values. Notably includes accounts by congressmen C. Wright Patman and Hamilton Fish, as well as failed presidential candidate Alf M. Landon, who recalls what it was like to be governor of Kansas in 1933
Can be used in my unit as homework or to help students adopt a role—a person whose perspective they could adopt.
Great for interpersonal learners; could be extended for audio learners if recordings are included (can be found on www.studsterkel.org/htimes.php)
11. “Surviving the Dust Bowl.” (1998). PBS Home Video: WGBH Educational Foundation. (Can be ordered at http://www.shoppbs.org/home/index.jsp) [VIDEO]
60 minutes
1931-1939, includes themes the Dust Bowl, farming techniques and environmental impact, soil conservation, the Depression and the New Deal. Video is a series of interviews with Dust Bowlers.
Offers a contrast/supplement to Grapes of Wrath where family fled to California; these interviewees stayed and lived through different types of disasters
Lesson could open with geographic exploration of the Dust Bowl region. Many quotations from interviewees that students can analyze to determine whether they would have stayed or migrated. Guided viewing questions.
12. “America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photos from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945.” American Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html [VISUAL/PHOTOGRAPHY]
Over 160,000 color and black and white photos. Not as student-friendly but thorough
Includes biographies of photographers and descriptions of their work with New Deal programs. Includes photos by Dorothea Lange (with highlight of “Migrant Mother”, Walker Evans, Arthur Rothstein and others
Could be used for photograph analysis exercises, understanding experiences of Americans, learning to develop photo essays
Good for visual learners
13. Thomas, Jesse O. “Will the New Deal be a Square Deal for the Negro?” (1933) Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life. On http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/32_f_roosevelt/psources/ps_squarefornegro.html [PRIMARY SOURCE on WEBSITE] · 3,164 word article, high-school reading level · An African American journal, Opportunity, examines New Deal policies and calls for fair treatment for blacks. Students examine effects of New Deal on different members of society—allows them to see multiple perspectives. · Students could answer guided reading questions/analyze the source as well as use to answer question on summative assessment about the experience of African-Americans during Depression. Students could write a letter to FDR detailing how the New Deal needs should be altered to be more inclusive. FDR and Evaluating the New Deal 14. “Audio Fireside Chats with Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Washington Post Coverage of the Financial Crisis. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/economy-watch/fireside-chats/ [AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIAL]
Website includes 13 audio clips of FDR’s speeches including inaugural addresses and fireside chats from 1933-1938
Site includes a blurb that connects Depression to current (2008) financial crisis through following questions: What might FDR say in a fireside chat during the financial crisis of 2008? Speeches are divided into topics including: bank failures, New Deal, Recovery Progress, Works Progress Administration, Dangers of Individualism, Saving the Farms, and Immigrants
In my own unit will use in FDR overview lecture to establish FDR’s perspective as a liberal and vision of the New Deal. Could also use as an audio exercise in which students respond to questions
Auditory learners will benefit from these recordings. For all students, could provide transcript of speeches to follow along (many at http://www.mhric.org/fdr/fdr.html)//
15. Katznelson, Ira. (2006). When Affirmative Action was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. [NON-FICTION for TEACHERS]
256 pages, adult reading level. Chapter 2 of particular interest
Katznelson argues that affirmative action did not develop out of the Civil Rights movement but originates in the New Deal policies. Rather than benefiting minorities, policies of the 1930s-1950s explicitly supported racial hierarchy. Katznelson shows that southern Democrats tailored federal legislation like the GI Bill and Social Security Act to ensure that blacks would be excluded from provisions of legislation and that they would most benefit working-class whites. Similarly, Katznelson makes a case that the 1939 Fair Labor Standards Act did nothing for employment sectors dominated by blacks at the time.
Research material for teachers or enrichment material or students with advanced reading level. Teacher can weave this information into discussion of the legacy of New Deal policies. Can be included in lesson on seeing the Great Depression from the perspective of African-Americans. Offers alternative, oft-ignored critique of the New Deal. Could use selected sentence or paragraph for discussion.
website documents popular culture in the 1930s through timelines, information pages that connect genre of film (for example) to feeling of the era. Includes topics such as gangster films, documentary film, images of mammies, comics, advertising, works of architecture, radio serials, etc.
Teacher can use for own lectures/demonstrations, student scavenger hunts, research projects on aspects of culture in the 1930s
Great for all teachers and learners. Wide spectrum of multimedia materials including readings, recordings, images virtual museums.
Website explores the evolution of traditional rural music into the commercial genre of Country and Western in the context of the Depression. Highlights the music’s appeal in a time of hardship
Includes student-friendly info pages with images and songs. Students look at primary sources and understand how popular culture connects to social realities
This annotated resource guide can assist teachers and students in going beyond the textbook and learning more in depth information on key topics of WWII. The list of sources below cover a range of topics in the WWII unit.
Topics Covered:
Axis Powers, Hitler, Allied Powers, League of Nations, Pearl Harbor, Concentration camps vs. internment camps, Korematsu Case, Impact of war on Americans: Economy, minorities and women at war, D-Day, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, creation of UN, World Bank GI Bill, Women in the Workforce
The World War II commemoration is a website with 6 links that focus on primary sources of WWII. The site organizes its material by important people, key topics, photographs, films, assessments, and additional links.
Suggestions for Use
This site can be used a tool to build off of the content learned from the text book. This will be a source that can expand knowledge and lead to more detail in the content. I think this would not only be a good site for teachers to use to get photos and videos that can peak student's interests, but can be a source for students if they were doing a research project. Since the site categorized people, events, and themes, this could be a good source to gain more information about a particular person or event.
A detailed web page with may links that offer WWII information.
Summary
The is a national website that has house historical archives. This extensive list of primary sources, from photos to political documents, comes from a variety of sources--international affairs to the home front. The vast selection allows a teacher take on many perspectives on how to teach the unit as well as provide primary sources to get students familiar with sources outside the text book.
Suggestions for Use
This site would be a good resources for teachers to use when planning lessons for a unit. Using this site to compile a list of primary sources could be useful for a DBQ and to showcase varying perspectives.
This is a website where you can download a detailed WWII web quest with questions and answers.
Summary
This website allows teachers to download a WWII web quest. This document in 19 pages and not only included the website for the activity but step-by-step instructions that students can follow. The document allow has detailed questions for the students. Since this site is for teachers, the document also has the answers of the questions from the web quest activity.
Suggestions for Use
This would be used by a teacher as a web quest activity for the class and should be introduced after the students have been introduced to the topic. Since the web quest is detailed, I think that students should work in pairs. After looking at the questions and the websites, this activity might take more than one day, but since this is downloadable, teachers are able to alter the questions and allow it to focus more on their chosen objectives for the unit.
Who Benefits?
Teachers
Resource Name
History Alive!: Pursuing American Ideals
Source/ Citation
Goff, Brent. History Alive!: Pursuing American Ideals. Teachers Curriculum Institute. June 2008.
Type/ Length
Textbook. The WWII sections are pages 431-487
Summary
History Alive is the textbook that many BPS US History II classes use. This book is a comprehensive account of history from 1492 to the present. The book is compiled with not only reading passages but maps, charts, photos, and primary excerpts.
Suggestions for Use
This textbook is a tool that teachers and students use as a guide to get an overview of material. While the textbook is a good introductory sources, it should be used as in accompany with other primary sources with varying views to give a holistic account of history as well as giving viewpoints that the textbook might miss.
Who Benefits?
Students, because this is their main source for information in the class, but it up to teacher to bring in other sources to partner with the textbook.
This site provides a virtual tour of historical artifacts pertaining to WWII. This site not only has images but provided detailed information about each artifact. Also, the site is organizes the tour by country, allowing for easy access to certain topics.
Suggestions for Use
This site could be used as an internet scavenger hunt, where the teacher has a set of questions that students can answer based off the site. Students can work in pairs and teachers could provide an incentive to the teams that correctly completes their hunt.
Who Benefits?
Students
Resource Name
Fighting for America: Black Soldiers-the Unsung Heroes of World War II
Source/ Citation
Moore, Christopher. Fighting for America: Black Soldiers--the Unsung Heroes of World War II. 2005.
Type/ Length
Book. 325 pages
Summary
This book showcases the role of African American soldiers in WWII and the impact they had on the victory of the war.
Suggestions for Use
While this is a long book for students to read, I think that excerpts should be read by the students to give them a first hand account of the role people of color played in the war. Some text book spend little, if any, time on the impact of people of color in the war and excerpts from this text will give them a differ rent perspective on the war. The book also talks about lack of civil rights, which can allow student to think about how American can fight for another country when there are problems in the US. Also this could allow students of color to indentify with the material more.
This is a short video that provides a depiction of the role of women in during WWII. It showcased the shift of women from the homemaker to working women. The video uses real footage and real audio from the era as well as images that accurately depict the role of women during this time. This will allow students to see the drastic change the war caused with the lives of women.
Suggestions for Use
I think that this could be used as either an introduction or a follow up of a lesson teaching about the role of women during the war.
This video shows first-hand accounts from the air and ground, re-telling every memory from the day the atomic bomb was dropped. This video shows as combination of real and reenacted footage and has real accounts of people in the plane that dropped the bomb and people that were impacted on land. The video also talks about how the Atomic bomb was made and how it was triggered.
Suggestions for Use
Since this video discusses the real experiences of people either dropping the bomb or being effected by the bomb, I think that this will allow students to gain a connection with the people in the film. After watching the video, students can chose a person on the film and write of reflection of how their lives changed or how they felt after the bomb exploded. This will put a person to the event.
This website has a nice summary of the effects that the atomic bomb caused. It is brief, but gives more detail than the text book.
Suggestions for Use
Teachers can use this as a tool to expand their knowledge on the effects of radiation. They can use this material to give a more in depth lesson on the atomic bomb.
This video focuses on the impact Latinos had in WWII. It uses real footage, images, and audios to give a first accounts of Latinos role in the war. This will allow students to see how other people of color impacted the war.
Suggestions for Use
I think that this should be used after student have been introduced to WWII. Teachers could show clips and create a handout out that students would have to fill in as they watch the video.
This video shows how people in the United States sentiments changes towards Asian American after Pearl Harbor. It uses real video, images, and audio from the president that explains internment camps and shows how they went through similar discrimination with the Jews in Germany.
Suggestions for Use
Teachers can use this to compare and contrast concentration camps and interment camps.
The is an interactive website that gives a brief overview of the war.
Suggestions for Use
This could be used as an introduction scavenger hunt to allow student to get a brief overview of the war, and then teacher and later go into more depth on particular topics. Students can work in pairs to complete the handout.
This site focuses on the lasting effects of the WWII, in particular United Nation, World Back, the Creation of Israel, and the International Monetary Fund.
Suggestions for Use
The teacher can use this site to get more insight on the effects of the war and can talk about how these organizations are still present in society. The teacher can use this to make connections between the past and present.
Who Benefits?
Teacher
Resource Name
ON THE TREADMILL TO PEARL HARBOR: THE MEMOIRS OF ADMIRAL JAMES O. RICHARDSON
Source/ Citation
ON THE TREADMILL TO PEARL HARBOR: THE MEMOIRS OF ADMIRAL JAMES O. RICHARDSON, AS TOLD TO VICE ADMIRAL GEORGE C. DYER. Washington DC: Naval Historical Division, Department of the Navy, 1973.
Type/ Length
Memoir, 471 pages
Summary
This is a memoir with personal experiences from personally groomed by FDR for the top operating job in the Fleet.
Suggestions for Use
The teacher can use excerpts from this Memoir to get personal accounts of Pearl Harbor from a persons chosen by FDR. The teacher can also use this to get additional knowledge and first hand accounts.
Who Benefits?
Students and Teacher
Resource Name
When Justice Failed: The Fred Korematsu Story
Source/ Citation
When Justice Failed: The Fred Korematsu Story by Steven A. Chin
Type/ Length
Biography, 105 pages
Summary
Relates the life and experiences of the Japanese American who defied the order of internment during World War II and took his case as far as the Supreme Court.
Suggestions for Use
Teacher can read excerpts so students can get detailed accounts on how interment camps effected people's lives and the effects of the Supreme Court decision. Teacher can also use this as a resource to get more knowledge on Korematsu's life and note just the case.
To add your Annotated Resource Library to the wiki please do the following:
1. Go to the page for your course (Civics, Humanities, etc.) If these pages don't apply to you, create a more appropriate page using the New Page link in the top left.
2. Find a sensible place on the page to put your ARL. If you are first, just put it below these instructions. If other ARL's are up, try to put yours in a logical place on the page.
3. Add a title to your ARL by typing the name of your unit (e.g. Civil War). Select all of the text in your title and then use the drop down menu in the editor bar to change this title to "Heading 1" (Look below "Normal")
4. Below your title, copy and paste your Annotated Resource Library.
5. Click Save
Note: Sometime Microsoft Word's formatting does not play well with wikispaces. If this is the case, copy and paste your ARL into the program called notepad or wordpad or text editor (Mac) on your computer, and then copy and paste it from there into the wiki. Copying into notepad will erase most of the formatting and make it copy cleanly into wikispaces.
THE BIG RULE: Don't fuss too much. This is not a test of your ability to post things into a wiki. If you can't get it to work in about 10 minutes, give up and email your ARL to justin.
Table of Contents
Bill of Rights
[Contributed by Nick Chauvenet]THE BACKGROUND
Unit Title- The Bill of Rights and Political Developments Early in the United States
Unit- This annotated resource library is intended to serve as a resource for a unit on the following topics
Grade- 9th grade United States History I (1763-1877). Designed as a semester course on block scheduling of 80 minute periods.
Length- 2 weeks- 9 lessons- one holiday during the first week in this case
Class make up- 23 students, 2/3 have IEPs
Massachusetts State Learning Standards- USI- 11-21
THE RESOURCES
1) www.billofrights.com
This is a wonderful online resource that has the major primary documents of the early American government including the Bill of Rights. It also has the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and other past documents. Having the original text of the documents is something you can get anywhere, what separates this website from the others are the additional contextual questions and resources. The website is extremely user friendly and is all free of charge. I find it quite easy to navigate and use the supporting documents in many different ways depending on time constraints.
2) http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=209113
This is the History Channel’s website. This encyclopedia helps to define all the major actors in different times in American history. The website has many features including potential activities to do and ways to teach the about the different concepts and times. I think any history teacher who fails to use the History channel website at all is missing out. The video clips can also be helpful but as I mentioned later with the DVD set can be problematic trying to work off of the BPS computers.
3) http://www.americanrhetoric.com/newtop100speeches.htm
This website provides all the audio clips free of charge for some of the most important speeches in American history. This is a wonderful data base for modern political speeches. In this context implications and lasting impressions of the Bill of Rights are discussed in Martin Luther King Jr- speech # 15, President Lyndon Johnson- speech # 10, and Mary Terrell- speech # 44. These speeches outline how the Bill of Rights and the Civil War Amendments have failed to live up to their potential. These speeches can provide students with an audio as to what people during the Civil Rights Movement thought about the Bill of Rights and the accompanying Amendments.
4) http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/
This is PBS’ free website which provides a lot of background information as to who Thomas Jefferson really was. Visuals, activities, readings, and background information are all available here. The Sally Hemming controversy, Jefferson’s slaves and other issues in the life of Jefferson are outlined in a simple manner. The reading materials are easily accessible, requiring little background knowledge or high level vocabulary. The website is also a great resource for many other types of information on American history.
5) http://blackhistory.com/cgi-bin/blog.cgi?cid=54
This website is free to access with the submission of an email address. This website provides resources to allow students to look at the same events in US history through a different perspective. Essays about the lives of African Americans from the early parts of American history allow for students to see what the Bill of Rights really meant to minorities at the turn of the 18th century. The website also provides students with access to many other issues that minorities faced throughout the beginning of the United States that is usually left out of the commonly used textbooks.
6) http://www.commondreams.org/
This free website allows students to see different ideas people from around the world have about their hope for democracy. The website is left leaning but talks about the promises of America and the hopes embodied in the Bill of Rights. Many of the articles on the website provide a modern perspective to ancient political issues such as the peaceful transfer of power and how that often fails in many third world countries. Students can gain experience in seeing how political issues evolve over time as countries try to establish themselves. Students can us the website or the readings to see how problems America had during its formation are many of the same issues that challenge new democracies today.
7) http://millercenter.org/
This website is the home for the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia (UVA). This website has a ton of great resources in regard to the formation of America as it is the focus of the program at UVA. The online reference source for the Presidents provides more than just a summary of their lives. Student can use this to take an in depth look at who the people were that ran the country and what their lasting legacies ended up being.
8) History Alive! Textbook. Available as the classroom textbook for most BPS schools. If a different version is used, it is available through the other high schools. On the one hand I cannot believe I am listing this as it generally is pretty bad and is also an obvious resource. On the other hand, the images collected for the early American history era are really good and it can be overlooked. Not all good resources must be complicated and hard to find. I mainly use the textbook as a visual resource. The visuals in the Chapters on the Bill of Rights can be used hand in hand with Constitutional issue cases. The early American political system images are also quite helpful in outlining the differences between the Federalists and Democrats.
9) Washington and His Colleagues: A Chronicle of the Rise and Fall of Federalism by Henry Jones Ford. The book is actually available totally online through http://www.gutenberg.org. This is a fictional account of George Washington’s great dilemmas and issues that he and the country faced after the Revolutionary War. The chapters tell different accounts in a somewhat fictional manner of how he hypothetically dealt with different challenges. The text is not as exciting as a fiction novel, nor does it create the character development many fiction books do, but it is decent in its approach and material. The reading level is fairly high, so it is probably best used as brief portions rather than trying to read the entire text.
10) Common Sense by Thomas Paine. I have a Penguin Classics copy that was $4.50. You can obtain it from most libraries. The document is directly pertaining to the Constitution and why it needs to be supported but it can help students gain a background for the political issues at the time and why a Bill of Rights was necessary to get the Constitution passed and the country moving forward. The document convinced many to support the Constitution and work toward the Bill of Rights. The wording can be a bit difficult as it is original text so scaffolding is probably necessary if the text is not adapted ahead of time.
11) The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History edited by John Grafton. Similar to Common Sense this resource can be purchased for relatively little or can be rented from the local library. I like this specific text because it gives even more original documents than the bill of rights website. Lots of background information surrounding the Bill of Rights and the issues in early America with the Presidential Addresses of Washington and Jefferson. These speeches give the students a chance to work with the text of the time first hand and contemplate the issues following the passage of the Bill of Rights. Like the previous resource, some scaffolding or rewording of text is necessary here as the rhetoric can be quite challenging.
12) Jefferson in Power: The Death Struggle of the Federalists by Claude G. Powers. This is available online for less than $3. Do not buy a new copy, they are quite expensive and many used copies are available. The book is fairly high level in regard to reading level but is a great resource for understanding the beliefs of the Federalists and Democrats around the election of 1800 which is usually hard to find. The readings provide opportunities to take out excerpts to look at certain pieces pertinent to the election of 1800.
13) America: Classics That Help Define the Nation edited by the Modern Library. This is available for purchase mainly at Amazon and Borders. I was unable to find it in the library searches I conducted so purchase might be required, should be under $10. This resource is wonderful for documents throughout American history, not just early establishment quandaries. This is a great resource for people who do not have the time to edit the original documents or scaffold the readings in the previous sources but would still like their students to gain some original perspective. The original speech and writings are edited to ease the understanding for lower level readers. Potentially a good resource for differentiation when used in conjunction with the original documents located in the previously mentioned resources.
14) Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties, and Justice by Lee Epstein and Thomas G. Walker. This book can be purchased but is fairly expensive, in the $40 dollar range. A much better bet is to check the library. The Boston Public Library has a copy as did some other libraries when I checked. This is a great resource for students to see how the Bill of Rights is applied today. Students can read about different cases which have defined just what freedoms the Bill of Rights gave and what limits they have. The text has original opinions from the justices of the Supreme Court but also provides summaries and background information to help with understanding. The images in the book are also wonderful and can be used irrespectively of the book if it is so desired.
15) Leading Cases in Constitutional Law by Jesse H Choper, Richard H Fallon, Jr., and Yale Kamisar. This resource is a higher level version of the previous text. This has longer versions of judicial decisions and important Bill of Rights cases without as much background and summary text. The book contains no visuals. This is a higher level text than the previous one and should be used through scaffolding carefully. A great challenge for higher level readers when use to differentiate with the previous text.
16) The Dynamic Constitution: An Introduction to American Constitutional Law by Richard H. Fallon, Jr. This is available for purchase on all major websites for under $10. This book provides the background to Supreme Court cases and decisions through time dealing with the conflicts in the Bill of Rights and subsequent Amendments. The book does not contain any actual opinions from the justices. This is a great resource for wanting the students to grapple with the Amendments today without taking the time needed to read the actual opinions of the justices. The book is very efficiently organized so the readings can be separated easily without losing meaning. The organization allows you to quickly find what you are looking for the students to read without having them spend time on additional text you find less important.
17) Time Magazine. Special 1776 issue. Independence! Actually published in 1976. This is available for viewing in some libraries and can be purchased on some websites. This is not an easy find but it is worth it! This fictional magazine has articles written as if it were in the time period. This helps students to take a perspective they rarely get. It is has many great individual articles and pictures. It does take some time to glace through. Usage of this resource is not quick or simple, but is wonderful. Students have liked comparing it in the past to current news articles in their style. It is a great way to develop student’s abilities to take perspectives and try to think about the viewpoints at the time. The fake advertisements in the magazine also provide some humor and additional learning opportunities for the ways media and technology have changed our lives through advertising.
18) Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen. This is a class resource and should be something already purchased. The 5th chapter provides an idea of how racism has been a tradition in the context of America and how textbooks fail to confront it. This is a fairly challenging text for high school students but can be read with some assistance or scaffolding. It is a wonderful starting point as to why the textbook is not enough when looking at the history of America. Usage of portions of this chapter is a great way to introduce looking at history from multiple perspectives. Since this is a unit conducted early in the semester it is a perfect launching point for students to challenge their textbook and create questions they wanted answered.
19) The Presidents. (DVD) History Channel. It is on sale now for under $20 online. This set is available for purchase and very helpful to looking at any time in American history. This DVD set provides students with a short look into the issues in the Presidents various terms. The segments are pretty short which is great as they present a lot of information without taking an entire class period. The DVD is organized in a way that you can just jump from President to President and even show just small portions of a Presidential term. The audio coupled with the visual has always been well received in the past by my students. The segments are short enough that they can be watched without having concentration issues that come with full classroom length videos. Portions of the videos can be obtained from the History Channel website. However, be careful with assuming you can play a video off the website in BPS as often times it is disallowed due to filters.
The Jacksonian Era and the Era of Reform
[Matthew Watson - sorry this is so ugly. My margin and tab parameters are not translating well. Obviously. But I wanted to get this on here for now. Would appreciate any advice on cleaning it up.]Annotated Resource Guide
Matthew D. Watson
The Course
Context: Second Semester of year-long course “U.S. History I” taught to ninth-grade students at Excel High School at the South Boston Education Complex
Units 1 & 3: “Jackson and the Growth of Democracy” (9 days)
“The Era of Reform” (10 days)
Classes: Period 4 – Ninth Grade, Inclusion, 29 students (55 minutes per day)
Period 6 – Ninth Grade, Inclusion, 25 students (55 minutes per day)
Limitations: No laptop cart or reliably available computer lab; students’ use of websites limited to projected image of teacher’s computer screen; classroom is very small and shared with a math class, both of which allow for little flexibility in seating arrangements (jigsaws, stations, groups larger than two or three are problematic).
The Textbook
Hart, Diane, et al., eds. History Alive! The United States. Palo Alto: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2002.
♦ This is the official course textbook. It is heavily illustrated and “sectionalized,” and, from my experience, easily readable and digestible for most of my ninth-grade students. My mentor teacher relies on it as the students’ primary source of information and has trained students to access it by taking a modified form of Cornell Notes. I intend to follow in the practice, but to hopefully shift the textbook into functioning as a repository of basic information that will serve as a backdrop to more in-depth studies.
Background Sources for Teacher
Davidson, James West, et al., eds. Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of the American Republic, Volume I: To 1877. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2001.
♦ Nation of Nations is college-level textbook that attempts to maintain narrative momentum while still engaging the “sub-headings” of American History in some detail. It also emphasizes up-to-date (in 2001) engagement with recent scholarly developments. In my preparation it will function primarily as fuller treatment to nuance the broad- strokes history of the courses primary textbook. Teachers who feel that they are learning U.S. history as they go will benefit from this text’s concentrated focus through Reconstruction as well as its ease of reading. The updated 2005 edition is available on Amazon.com from $8.00 for used copies.
Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. Trans. Joseph Ward Swain. New York: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1915.
♦ I included Durkheim here because I feel that the public school teacher needs to establish some working-theory that will inform the way he or she presents and speaks about what is essentially a religious history. “There are just some things we can’t explain…” is just as useless an explanation as “God did it.” The social sciences offer many working-theories and models (see Weber below) that attempt to describe and, to a certain extent, explain religious phenomena without trespassing into the metaphysics of the matter. Durkheim’s notion of “collective effervescence” (II.7.iii) is one such attempt that I think is particularly helpful when talking about the orgiastic, distinction- destroying revivalism of the Second Great Awakening, the spirit of which was mediated through participatory oratory, anxious meetings, and sunrise prayer groups. Similarly, for Durkheim, when concentrated in religious ceremony and “in certain determined moments, the collective life has been able to attain its greatest intensity and efficacy, and consequently to give men a more active sentiment of the double existence they lead and the double nature in which they participate.” In ceremonial events of religious culture, the sociologist observes, the individual can be transported beyond his day-to-day sense of himself into something larger, grander, and intensely motivating. Oxford World’s Classics edition is available new for $10.17 on Amazon.com.
Hofstadter, Richard. The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1948.
♦ Not only is Hofstadter’s first major work a classic in political portraiture, but it offers the busy teacher brief counterpoints on a variety of often caricatured political figures. Hofstadter’s portraits achieve their unique insight by identifying or juxtaposing their subject with novel themes in the wider American experience. Chapters relevant to units 1 and 3 include “Andrew Jackson and the Rise of Liberal Capitalism,” “John C. Calhoun: The Marx of the Master Class,” and “Wendell Phillips: The Patrician as Agitator.” I feel that, whatever realignment social history has achieved in the past several decades, there are, for teachers and students alike, simply some historical characters worth dwelling on and coming to know in some depth. Used copies available on Amazon.com from $0.13 and from $10.85 new.
_. Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. New York: Random House, 1962.
♦ Hofstadter’s survey of American anti-intellectualism, although it reaches at one extreme into the 1950s, begins with the evangelicalism, politics, and reform culture of the early- to mid-nineteenth century. I tend to follow Hofstadter’s lead in identifying the peculiar antipathy toward learning and the corresponding veneration of the emotional life that originated roughly in the Second Great Awakening and specifically in the work of Charles Finney as a first order factor in the emergence of the popular politics, public discourse, and proclivity for association that typified the antebellum years. The revivalism of roughly 1815 through the mid-1830s—when Charles Finney departed the revival circuit for Oberlin College—took an already healthy strain of American iconoclasm to its extreme. Any treatment of the central themes of “Jacksonian America” is incomplete without reference to this influence. Available new for $12.21 at Amazon.com.
Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
The narrative of this recent Pulitzer Prize-winning historical synthesis treats the central years of the second half of U.S. History I’s scope, from the end of the Battle of New Orleans through the United States’ victory over Mexico (1815-1848 out of roughly from 1800-1877). Howe portrays these years as an era of expansion—territorially, industrially, of the technologies of transport and communication, and of the power of political parties. Although Howe attempts and achieves narrative momentum across his 904 pages (bibliographical essay, index), each chapter stands alone as a discrete topical study. Thus Jackson’s presidency and the issues surrounding it, the Second Great Awakening, and the reform movement are each the focus of multiple chapters. Additionally, Walker’s footnotes are a commentary on the books that have proved themselves historiographically significant over the past 20 years and suggest avenues of inquiry into more micro studies of the topics he takes up. What Hath God Wrought is available new from Amazon.com for $23.10.
Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Trans. Talcott Parsons. New York: Routledge, 1992 (1930, first English Edition by Allen and Unwin).
Religion is not all ephemeral stuff; according to Weber it can pay. There are two uses for Weber’s most popular work in the second half of U.S. History I: First, and most obviously, the Early Republic and Antebellum years were a time when the U.S., particularly the North, grew simultaneously very rich and very religious. As the story goes, colonial and early America tended to be populated by the more ascetically- oriented—and less jolly—branches of Protestantism. For these groups, happiness would only be obtainable in heaven and “[w]aste of time [was the] first and in principle deadliest of sins” (104). This, along with the “importance of a fixed calling” provided “an ethical justification of the modern specialized division of labor” and made the United State’s economic growth inevitable (109). Weber’s classic formulation has been surpassed but still stands as a powerful and relatively accessible model for understanding America’s ardent religiosity in connection with its wider social and economic trends. Second, and less well known, Weber’s characterizations of the ethical and emotional tendencies of each major branch of Protestantism are pithy, insightful, and, from my perspective, accurate (see esp. chs. 4 and 5 for this). Such portraits, like Hofstadter’s of politicians, are always useful to the teacher struggling to enflesh a collection of loose biographical facts. The Talcott translation, which I believe is still the standard, can be had in a Dover Value Edition for $5.00 on Amazon.com.
Classroom Sources
“Andrew Jackson” (Lesson Plans and Primary Resources) at USHistorySite.com
♦ Accessible at http://ushistorysite.com/andrew_jackson.php
♦ The website is divided into two sections “Lesson Plans” and “Primary Sources.” The primary sources section has only two documents, but there are links to dozens of primary sources (though some do not work) from the various lesson plans. These hyperlinked lesson plans are the golden geese of this website.
♦ Website maintained in the service of high school American history teachers. Organization is a little obtuse, but manageable. Site offers a variety of sources, all of which seem keyed to the high school mind. Site will serve well the history teacher’s two perennial interests: teaching students to analyze primary sources and to synthesize information from multiple sources.
♦ There are three lesson plans on this website which I plan to borrow from: “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Expansion of the Voting Base,” “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics,” and “The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Territorial Expansion and the Shift of Power.” Although the lesson plans are, in my opinion, disorganized and do not display the purposefulness articulated in their titles, they are replete with links to other Jackson primary written and visual sources, short biographies, historical voter participation statistics and corresponding maps, a potentially classroom-ready short essay on Andrew Jackson’s “Old Hickory” image, as well as a PDF digest of amendments to the federal and states constitutions regarding voting rights leading up to the 1828 election.
♦ The strength of the site is its links, particularly its links to visual primary sources. Newspaper articles in their original typeset instead of transcriptions, charts of voting statistics, color coded historical election and territorial expansion maps, and relevant Harper’s Weekly cartoons. For the teacher willing to dig a little, this site promises some modest finds. No homeruns, though.
“Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil, & the Presidency” at PBS.org
♦ Accessible at http://www.pbs.org/kcet/andrewjackson/edu. Menus are easily navigated. Colorful, classy presentation.
♦ This website merits a solid bit of browsing. Its focus on Andrew Jackson does not constrict its scope, but lends focus to its breadth. The soul of this website is a two-hour documentary film narrated by Martin Sheen. The film is divided into chronological and thematic chapters with titles like “Wild Young Man,” “War Hero,” and “First Modern President.” These divisions are, in turn, further subdivided. The chapter “First Modern Hero,” for instance, is subdivided into “First Days in Office” and “The Eton Affair.” The former segment is 3 minutes 15 seconds long and shows actors frolicking in the White House, the latter, 4 minutes 38 seconds long and tastefully but provocatively treats the amorous political episode. Each segment is also accompanied by three “related links.” For “The Eaton Affair” segment one the links connects to a page that discusses “The Power of Women” in nineteenth-century America.
♦ Useful for teaching students how to take notes on a film and interpret what a documentary is trying to convey through its narration, images, and use of commentators.
♦ The PBS documentary reproduced in usefully divided segments on this website is perfect supplement (and in some cases, substitute) to the background information provided by the textbook. If I can skip a section of the text by showing a segment of the documentary, I consider it a good trade.
♦ The documentary on which this website is based passes the “school test” for such films. That test has but one standard, and asks but one question: are there actors. The answer in this case is yes. It is nearly cinematic in the telling of its narrative. Visual learners and movie-goers alike will appreciate this complex, but entertaining treatment of Jackson.
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Boston: The Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.
♦ Unabridged Narrative accessible at the Berkeley Digital Library at http://sunsite3. berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/
♦ Eleven chapters, not including instructive prefaces by William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips. The Dover Thrift Edition is 100 pages.
♦ As with any of the primary sources of this era, Douglass’s Narrative forces students to contend with mid-nineteenth century prose, but mollifies this demand through the engaging style of Douglass’s storytelling. The Narrative offers many one- or two- paragraph asides that make for wonderful primary source excerpts for use in a jigsaw or similar activity. For instance, there is a paragraph at the end of Chapter III in which Douglass discusses the reasons why so many slaves claimed to be content with their lot in life (masters were know to employ spies—both black and white—to ascertain the morale of their slaves). It is a short excerpt that could be combined with several others to help students appreciate the tensions involved in slave life, or perhaps as part of an attempt to answer the question: Why didn’t the slaves just run away?
♦ In my third unit, which deals with the Era of Reform, many portions of the Narrative could prove useful in establishing the context in which the abolitionist movement unfolded. In the eleventh chapter, for example, there is a surprising passage in which Douglass criticizes the Underground Railroad and its operatives as, to translate, too cocky. This passage could serve as an engaging avenue whereby to approach the division over means which characterized the abolition movement.
♦ The playfulness and action-orientation of Douglass’s writing will undoubtedly make the Narrative engaging primary source reading (compared to alternatives) for most students.
Douglass, Frederick. “Independence Day Speech” at Rochester, NY (July 5, 1852).
♦ Accessible at TeachingAmericanHistory.org: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/ library/index.asp?document=462
♦ A fourteen-paragraph speech. First-rate irony in plain language. For those in Massachusetts, it is also among the “Seminal Primary Documents to Read.” (Although I find its listing under the “Economic Growth in the North and South, 1800-1860” section of the standards a little puzzling. I think it would wear better under “Social, Political, and Religious Change, 1800-1860.” As for me, I plan to use it in my Era of Reform unit.)
♦ Douglass’s speech is a pedagogical bonanza in its connections back to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, as a primer in irony and public speaking generally, and at the same time as a foreshadowing of John Brown’s weariness of mere talk (“For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”) I think there is a wonderful bit of room here to talk about what may be the primary fault of democracy: indecisiveness. That a nation can carry on for decades bearing the tension of two irreconcilable positions in its being and be said to possess an “enlightened” form of government is not an obvious proposition.
♦ I will probably use this speech to highlight Douglass’s career as an African-American abolitionist and to discuss how a society’s conscience is rarely located within its governmental structure. This latter aim is of a piece with what I hope to illustrate through engagement with the Antebellum reformers.
♦ Any student interested in writing, speaking, rapping, sermonizing, Obama, or drama should be drawn to this piece. It cries to be read aloud. It embodies the ironical distance between America’s founding ideals and the racism, slavery, and compromise that had characterized its treatment of blacks since its founding.
Finney, Charles G. Sermons on Important Subjects. New York: John S. Taylor, 1836.
♦ Accessible in digital form at http://www.gospeltruth.net/1836SOIS/indexsois.htm
♦ A selection of twelve of Finney’s popular early sermons. Sermons like “How to Change Your Heart,” “The Traditions of the Elders,” and “Why Sinners Hate God” gives us insight into the ideas and type of preaching that were so influential in the early and mid-nineteenth century.
♦ For a variety of reasons, the interpretation of a sermon requires a different analytical approach than, say, a political speech and requires separate training (i.e. while it is the strategy of good political oratory to engender in its hearers a sense of well-being, solidity, and virtue that they had not felt before, a good nineteenth-century evangelical sermon made its hearers aware of previously undetected sins, depravities, and impending punishments). Sermons also typically derive more explicitly from particular doctrines than do political speeches. In any event, the sermon merits particular attention as a distinct form of American communication culture and students should learn to analyze it as such.
♦ I am planning to use one particular sermon, “Sinners Bound to Change Their Own Hearts,” to introduce students to the Christian theological concept of regeneration and to explain the alteration that concept underwent in the Second Great Awakening. In order to make the sermon more accessible to my students and to focus on the portions of it that serve my purposes, I have created an abridged and edited version of the sermon.
♦ Students interested in theology, philosophy, religious development and culture, and oratory will be engaged by a close study of Finney’s sermons.
Miller, Perry, ed. The Transcendentalists: An Anthology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1950.
♦ Miller’s anthology is out of print, though readily available in any academic library or on Amazon.com.
♦ Annotated excerpts (107 total) from well-known and less well-known American Transcendentalists, including forerunners (Sampson Reed), stalwarts (Emerson, Thoreau), and peripheral figures (Orestes A. Brownson). 521 pages, bibliography and index.
♦ The wide selection of usually short and always well-annotated excerpts are useful for exercises in context building, textual analysis, synthesis of multiple sources, and nuancing the typical presentation of Transcendentalists.
♦ I had originally hoped to do more with the Transcendentalists that it now looks like I will have time for. For anything more than a cursory treatment I would almost certainly turn to Miller’s anthology to demonstrate how Transcendentalism was a part of a wider American Romanticism.
♦ Will be appreciated by students interest in philosophy, writing, or intellectual history.
“The Second Great Awakening and the Age of Reform” at TeachUSHistory.org
♦ Accessible at http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform
♦ The website is divided into four sections: Overview, approaches, articles, and resources. All are useful. I think the “approaches” section is especially helpful. It lives up to its billing and suggests approaches to the Second Great Awakening from a variety of quarters. Each of its seven angles of approach consists of a link to a series of annotated resources. These include: “The Revival Experience,” “The Revival and Anti- Slavery,” “Dorothea Dix: Unitarian Reform,” and “Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.”
♦ The summaries and brief introductory essays that populate this site are ideal for the teacher seeking to fill out his or her background knowledge of the Second Great Awakening, as well as for students to get a more nuanced and detailed treatment of the revival than is typically available in secondary textbooks. But most importantly, any teacher with a bent toward attempting an historical “signature pedagogy” instruction will appreciate the wealth of primary sources available on this site.
♦ I think the selection of converts’ stories from—get ready—The Testimony of a Hundred Witnesses; or, The Instrumentalities by Which Sinners are Brought to Embrace the Religion of Jesus Christ from Christians of Different Denominations (1858) would make a wonderful introduction to the types of soul-concerns that haunted many nineteenth-century Americans and how they found their resolution in “conversion to Christ.” The same section also contains links to Finney’s description of the 1830 Rochester revival and of his own conversion as a young lawyer. The narrative of anxious sinner/the power of preaching/joy in Christ was a central narrative in the nineteenth- century mind and is worth exploring.
♦ Students interested in religion, authentic experience, oratory, or mass movements will connect to with the materials offered by this site.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden; Or, Life in the Woods. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854.
♦ Walden and other Thoreau sources are available online at The Walden Woods Project, under the “Research” menu on the left side of the Project’s homepage. The text itself is accessible at http://www.walden.org/Institute/thoreau/writings/walden/Walden.htm
♦ Walden is a difficult book. It requires dedication and patience of even the purposeful adult reader. That being said, it also possesses passages of universal appeal. Chosen wisely and linked in students’ minds to a clear purpose, Walden can prove a rewarding source.
♦ Thoreau’s greatest work can be used as a commentary on many of the important themes of nineteenth-century American life: transcendentalism, war, slavery, the market economy, social reform, etc.
♦ There are several passages, particularly in Chapter II “Where I Lived and What I Lived For,” that I think will offer an eloquent dissent from the religious- and organization- oriented reforms of the antebellum era.
♦ Students who find the majority of class too facile for the depth of their adolescent experience and feeling may connect to Thoreau the philosophical hermit, and perhaps even to Thoreau the poetically-tempered local traveler.
Truth, Sojourner. “Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech; delivered in May 1851 at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio.
♦ Frances G. Gage’s original (though retrospective) transcription available at Fordham’s Modern History Sourcebook at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth2.html, but I would suggest the modern-language version that appears in Wikipedia’s treatment of the speech at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%27t_I_a_Woman%3F (you may recall that Truth’s first language was Dutch, and unfortunately Gage was quite taken with this detail).
♦ This is a short, visceral speech. In its modern-English rendering it should take about two minutes to read, silently or out loud.
♦ “Ain’t I a Woman?” is pedagogically useful on two counts. First, it is an excellent example of rhetorical humility in the tradition of Socrates and Shakespeare’s Mark Antony (in Julius Ceasar). Truth was tall and strong and sometimes confused for a man. Yet in this speech she appropriates the rhetoric of womanly meekness to great effect. I like to take every possible opportunity to put before students examples of effective writing and speaking.
♦ The second use of this piece is as a window into the internal tensions of the women’s movement. Often led by men, often excluding African Americans, the women’s movement was not progressive in the purest sense. And yet this fact only indicates that similar aggregate of motives and assumptions comprised all nineteenth-century—and perhaps all modern—reform movements.
♦ Truth’s speech offers students a vibrant woman’s voice in an era whose public life was dominated by male words. Truth is also a colorful and engaging figure. Her personal travels, exploits, and friendships alone could supply the basis for several college courses. Also, students will most likely relate with her raw physicality and volubility.
Whittier, John Greenleaf. “Clerical Oppressors” (1836)
♦ “Poems by John Greenleaf Whittier” on Read Book Online. A wide selection of poems, most annotated, arranged alphabetically and by subject. Accessible at http://www.readbookonline.net/books/Whittier/141/#Poem
♦ “Clerical Oppressors” is a short, twelve-stanza poem excoriating the South’s pastors and priests for lending their religious authority to the pro-slavery political stance of the southern states. The poem does contain some archaic language and difficult vocabulary (addressed in my attached annotation of the poem), but overall very readable.
♦ In the same vein as my above comments on the pedagogical utility of Finney’s sermon, I believe that reading a poem as an historical artifact is a special skill separate from simple historical interpretation and not likely to be covered in language arts courses. The poem offers an occasion to work through some of the thinking involved in such interpretation.
♦ In addition, I plan to use “Clerical Oppressors” to complicate the notion—which I will on other occasions expressly advance—that evangelical religion was the basis for much of the North’s antebellum culture of moral reform. It is important to note that nearly identical religious views were made to undergird the intellectual defense of slavery in the South.
♦ Poetry humanizes history. Any time it can be brought to bear it will (hopefully) enliven students’ interest in, deepen their empathy with, and make more memorable their study of a given topic.
Westward Expansion, Native Americans, Industrialization
[Amelie]Annotated Resource Library:
1. Zinn, Howard, A people's history of the United States : 1492-present.
New York : HarperCollins, c2003.
- Classic text that offers good readings to counter the narrative of textbooks
- Helpful in offering stories that illustrate issues of power throughout US History
- At times a more difficult and less organized reading format
For Unit 1- Industrialization read the chapter Robber Barons and Rebels p. 253-2952. Zinn, Howard, Voices of a people's history of the United. New York : Seven Stories Press, c2004.
- Has lots of primary sources – speeches, documents,
- Offers a variety of sources and is very well organized
- Includes great short introductions to the readings
For Unit 1- Westward Expansion read chapter 7: Indian Removal p. 133-149, specifically use “The Cherokee Removal Through the Eyes of a Private Solder” or “Two Statements by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce”3. Zinn, Howard, A People’s History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation. NY: Metropolitan Books: 2008
- An excellent addition to the Zinn collection, includes drawings and interpretations of the same historical narrative of his People’s History
- A good resource for reluctant readers or ELL learners
- It may not include enough on every topic, but can be used to amplify textbook readings
· For Unit 1 – Monopolies and Railroads read the chapter The Internal Empire, specifically “Certain White Men” and “The Pullman Strike”4. Takaki, Ronald T., A Different Mirror : a history of multicultural America. Boston : Little, Brown & Co., c1993.
- This is a very readable and enjoyable narrative about an alternative view of American History
- It tells the story of different groups and how they experienced American policies and government
- It may have to be cut down or used in pieces to be more accessible to high school readers
· For Unit 1 – Westward Expansion and Railroads read the chapter Toward the Stoney Mountain – From Removal to Reservation, specifically the final pages 101-103 that discuss the specific conflicts of Native American encounters with the railroads5. Garcia, Juan, Harley, Sharon, and Howard, John, One Nation Many People: The United States Since 1876. Globe Fearon. c1996.
6. PBS – New Perspectives on the West
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/lesson_plans/
- http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/lesson_plans/lesson01.htm (Accessed Dec. 4, 2008)
7. Digital History Online
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu///
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/subtitles.cfm?titleID=32
Guided Readings: Closing the Western Frontier
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/subtitles.cfm?titleID=38
Guided Readings: Industrialization and the Working Class
8. Peltier, Leonard, My Life is My Sun Dance.
9. HBO Films, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
10. HBO Films, Deadwood
11. NPR May 13, 2008 – “American Indian Schools Haunt Many” & “American Indian School a Far Cry from the Past”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16516865
(Accessed Dec. 23, 2008)
- Has great first person narratives and personal stories about the Indian Boarding schools
- Has vivid pictures and recorded interviews about the experiences at the boarding schools
- The two stories offer a great contrast between the past and the present
· For Unit 1- Westward Expansion to examine the effects of policies on culture and helps students understand the losses inflicted upon the Native AmericansExpansion Westward/Tensions in the West
AAAAA Tensions in the WestaaaEssential Question: Does where you live say anything about who you are?
Unit Objectives: SWBAT:
· Understand what it means to work effectively in groups.
· Analyze the Homestead Acts effect on Exodusters and homesteaders.
· Compare the perspectives of different groups in the West including Native-Americans, Cowboys, Exodusters, and Farmers and Miners.
· Understand the development of the transcontinental railroad and analyze its assistance in moving West.
· Understand reasons people move.
· Conclude whether where you live says anything about who you are.
Length: 5 days including the first day of the semester
Grade and Class Title: 10th grade US History II
Student Population: 25 – 31 students, inclusive classrooms, approximately 1/3 of the class has IEP’s or decoding difficulties
Guiding Massachusetts curricular framework: 10.4 Analyze the causes of the continuing westward expansion of the American people after the Civil War and the impact of this migration on the Indians. (H)
Total Items:
General Use Sources – These sources can be used within the classroom.
1. Danzer, Gerald A., Klor de Alva, J. Jorge, Krieger, Larry S., Wilson, Louis E., & Woloch, Nancy. (1999). The Americans: Reconstruction through the 20th Century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.
2. McDougal Littell: A Houghton Mifflin Company. (1995 – 2008). The Americans Class Zone. Retrieved 12/08/2008 from http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/americans05/book_home.htm?state=MA
a. This is the textbook and the textbooks website.
b. The website is particularly useful. It has blank maps and primary source documents. The nice thing about the primary sources on this site is that many of them are useful and first-hand accounts of the people who are experiencing the problems or successes of American society.
c. The website also provides brief chapter quizzes, audio readings of the information, links to many of the books sources and other important information.
d. This is one of the richest resources I have found. Although it is not necessarily teaching out of text, it gives so many different options for the differentiation within the classroom – i.e. primary source, audio reading of the text, visual maps, etc. In particular, the maps and primary sources are quite useful.
e. It is a great place to find resources when you are looking for primary source materials for your class or when you might run out of information.
3. Kansas Historical Society. (2008). Exodusters. Retrieved 12/08/2008 from
4. Kansas Memory Website. (2007 – 2008). The largest colored colony in America – advertisement. Retrieved 12/18/08 from http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/332/page/1
5. Kansas Memory Website. (2007 – 2008). All colored people that want to go to Kansas, on September 5th 1877, can do so for $5.00 – advertisement. Retrieved 12/18/08 http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/702/page/1
a. Audio clip approximately 15 minutes in length. Accompanying documents from the website of the advertisements that are discussed within the podcast.
b. Differentiates and is good for learners that need to hear things and see things. Won’t work as well for kids that struggle with decoding. Possibly consider creating a transcript of the session or cutting the learning into parts for the kids to process.
c. The site has applicable local Kansas history that can be used as contrast for many periods of American history. They have podcasts and various links to other sites.
d. The Kansas memory website offers primary source documents that correspond with the podcasts. Hence, the advertisements are visuals that can be used with the audio to give students a visual of what the advertisements of the time might have looked like.
6. History Channel Website. (1996 – 2008). American History Videos: Westward Expansion. Retrieved 12/08/2008 from (Look under the Videos: Era tab on the tool bar and click that to help find the videos or search for westward expansion on the website)
a. Website source from the History Channel. The site has written, audio and visual movie clips on westward expansion among the countless other subjects it has in American History. Useful for the West is the video clips, which it currently has about 15 minutes of information about the Gold Rush. They are short two - three minute clips. They also have some general information on the history of the West.
b. This website does not limit the user to just westward expansion topics. It has games, it has audio clips and it covers topics of both American and World History. It is a wonderfully rich resource.
7. Wounded Knee Museum Website. Exhibits. Retrieved 12/15/08 from http://www.woundedkneemuseum.org/main_menu.html
8. Cankpe Opi Tiyospayehttp – Wounded Knee Community. Wounded Knee Community website. :cankpeopitiyospaye.tripod.com/
a. Both these sites present views of the Wounded Knee information past and present.
b. There are some excellent exhibits, which may be usable for a Webquest or for less supervised scavenger hunt. The readings are pretty easy and the exhibits on the site are particularly good – the Wounded Knee Museum Website. The second site listed has some audio accounts of the Wounded Knee Community.
c. Great also for a teacher to expand on their own content background.
9. Bower, Bert & Lobdell, Jim. (1999? sorry textbook I have is badly damaged). History Alive! The United States: Chapters 15 - 17. Unclear again where published. (Pp.201 – 245)
a. Textbook.
b. Useful for differentiated instruction when using the text. Reads at a middle school level, but can be utilized in conjunction with some of the History Alive! Experiential learning activities, which may contribute to higher cognitive learning.
c. The book tends to follow the pacing guide from BPS pretty well and seems like a legitimate source especially when you need rich material with entry points for many students.
d. Careful using the textbook though. I think – this is based on my observations of the History Alive! Activities - that the text is a collaborative with the activities. Therefore, it might be good to center units around the text and activities together or carefully plan, which material to use from the text.
10. Zinn, Howard, Konopacki, Mike & Buhle, Paul. (2008). A People’s History of American Empire: Ch I The Internal Empire and Ch II The Spanish-American War. New York, NY: Metropolitan Books.
a. The book is a graphic interpretation from Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States: 1492 to Present.
b. The book is 288 pages and includes interpretations on events at Wounded Knee and The Spanish-American War, both contributors to the Westward Expansion and Tensions in the West
c. A great way to differentiate instruction; the text is easy to read and the art work is provocative and excellent. The stories are also historical interpretations so it is a great way to introduce historiography and the fact that history is drawn, written, and interpreted differently by different people.
11. Our Shared History: African American Heritage. (????). Stories to Tell: Stories of the Great Westward Expansion. Retrieved 12/18/08 from http://www.nps.gov/untold/banners_and_backgrounds/expansionbanner/expansion.htm
a. This website shares three stories of westward expansion for African-Americans during the 1800’s. The three stories detail the life of George Washington Bush (ironic enough in name alone), tales of the Exodusters, and the Moses Speese Family.
b. The readings are not overly difficult, but do require some prior knowledge about reasons for moving and understanding of segregation and discrimination of African-Americans of the time.
c. All three stories have a strong sense of humanity that the students might be able to engage with. They also ultimately show success through perseverance, which is a great tone to the lesson.
12. Youtube Smithsonian Education. (2008). Westward the Course of Empire takes its way – Reading a historical painting. Retrieved 12/19/08 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yfkvIQuq7s
a. This four-minute youtube clip is produced by the Smithsonian Education. The moderator is the senior curator of the American Smithsonian Art Museum.
b. The major point of this clip is an examination of the famous “manifest destiny” painting titled “Westward the Course of Empire”. The clip is meant to discuss how one reads a painting.
c. The material is difficult to understand so scaffolding is needed to help students understand the observations the curator makes. However, it is a great skill piece and could serve to introduce reading primary source historical paintings or photographs.
13. The Gold Rush. (????). All About the Gold Rush. Retrieved 12/19/08 from http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/allabout.html**
a. This website is maintained on an Iowa State server.
b. Webquest friendly or scavenger hunt site. It has short passages that tend to cover the people, places and events that were happening at the time of the California Gold Rush.
c. Links to videos and other websites that relate to the movement westward at the time. The website responds and follows the PBS video timeline of the Gold Rush. Might be good to look into the Gold Rush.
14. Smithsonian Institution Source Website. (????). Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans and the role of the government. Retrieved 12/19/08 from http://www.smithsoniansource.org/content/dbqs/westwardexpansion/impact_westward_expansion.pdf
a. A DBQ created by the Smithsonian Institution on the Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans and the role of the government.
b. Great primary source documents that could be used to teach the conflicting perspectives of the Native American and the government intentions and utilization of the concept of Manifest Destiny. Possibly a great way to introduce DBQ’s to a class that might not have done them before. It is a complex way to introduce what will have to be done on the MCAS.
15. Lazarus, Emma. (1883). The New Colossus. Retrived 12/19/08 http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/LIBERTY/lazaruspoem.html -- you can just google search it
a. Primary source documented that aligns with state and Boston recommendations.
b. Part of my pre-assessment, which will subsequently be used in the immigration unit.
Teacher Only Use Sources – These sources should primarily be used for your own edification or for classes that have the ability
16. Deloria, Vine. (1985). Behind the Trail of Broken Treaties: An Indian Declaration of Independence. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.
a. Based on the excerpts I have read it seems like a legitimate source for a teacher to improve content knowledge. It seems to talk about the treaty making process and I think it could be a text that a teacher could use to consider empowerment through government associations.
b. It is 300 plus pages so it might be considered for a summer reading.
c. Down-side of the book is that it seems to focus on some past history, but really brings itself to the present – 1972 through today.
17. Turner, Frederick Jackson. (1920). The Frontier in American History. Recreated essays retrieved on 12/19/08 from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/TURNER/ - Also available on Google Books or amazon search
a. Books for a teacher’s edification.
b. It is 360 pages and discusses everything from settlement in the Massachusetts Bay Colony through social movements west.
c. It is an older book, but based on the passages I have read it seems like it would offer an interesting perspective of the movements west not long after they happened. As some bait to read it, Frederick Jackson Turner wrote it while at Harvard University. **
"A House Divided": Lead-up to the Civil War
[contributed by Kay Thompson]Introduction:
Unit Title: “A House Divided:” Rising Tensions in the New Nation, 1800-1860
Essential Questions:
- By 1860, who was “in” and who was “out” in American society?
- Was the Civil War inevitable?
- How can we as historians make one story out of many primary and secondary documents?
Length: 4 weeks (19 class days)Grade: 7th and 8th
Student population: Inclusion class of 22 students each, 20% with IEPs, several ELL students
Guiding Massachusetts Frameworks: US History I 29, 35-41
Major topics: Slavery as experience, as economic institution, as embedded institution; differences between North and South; early anti-slavery agitation; political fractures and compromises 1820-1860
1) 1776. (1972). Musical film. “Molasses to Rum to Slaves.” Can be accessed online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCVG1UNj5Y
2) “19th Century Racism.” Accessible at http://www.geocities.com/ru00ru00/racismhistory/19thcent.html
3) African American Museum and Black Heritage Trail. Website accessible at http://www.afroammuseum.org/index.htm
4) Becker, Eddie. “A Chronology on the History of Slavery 1619-1789.” Accessible at http://www.innercity.org/holt/slavechron.html.
5) Burns, Ken, dir. (1990). The Civil War. Documentary film.
6) Chomsky, Marvin J. et al., dirs. Roots. (1977). Television miniseries. ABC network. Accessible at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQGJwA0vCwo (This is at the end of the first episode)
7) CSPAN network. Lincoln 200 Years. Accessible at http://www.c-span.org/lincoln200years/
8) Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. In Jordan, Winthrop. (1968). “The Simultaneous Invention of Slavery and Racism,” from White Over Black. Accessible online at http://www.sammustafa.com/Resources/slavery.pdf
9) Fontaine, Peter. “A Defense of Slavery in Virginia.” (1757). Published on PBS’s Africans in America website. Accessible at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h6t.html
· A primary source text that justifies slavery; could either be used on the day we talk about how southerners viewed slavery or when we talk about racism and slavery.
10) Ford, Lacy. (2008). “Reconfiguring the Old South: ‘Solving’ the Problem of Slavery, 1787-1838.” In Teaching the Journal of American History: June 2008 (Vol. 95, no. 1). Accessible online at http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org/teaching/2008_06/
· The article itself is available from the website and would be useful background to teachers—it discusses how white southerners rationalized slavery, with special attention to Madison and Jefferson, among others.
· It is 28 pages long and somewhat dense. Some of the important material could be cut out for use in a lesson on how slavery endured in the South.
· There are resources for teachers on the website, including lesson ideas and primary sources that are used in the article.
11) Hakim, Joy. (1999). A History of Us: Liberty for All? New York: Oxford University Press.
12) Hakim, Joy. (1999). A History of Us: War, Terrible War, 1860-1865. New York: Oxford University Press.
13) “John Brown’s Raid, 1859.” Published on Eyewitness to History website. Accessible at http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/johnbrown.htm
14) Library of Congress. Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project, 1936-1938. Accessible at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/snhome.html
15) Lyons, Mary E. (1992). Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs. New York: Scribner.
16) National Geographic Society. (2001). “Civil War.” Geokit: American History Series. Teacher’s Guide.
17) Teachers Curriculum Institute. (1997). History Alive! The Civil War and Reconstruction. Teachers Guide.
18) Turner, Nat. (1831). Confessions of Nat Turner. Published on the Documenting the American South website. Accessible at http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/turner/turner.html
19) Walker, David. “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World.” PBS “Africans in America” website. Accessible at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2931t.html__
Constitution/Reconstruction (1877-1896)
[Tina L. Fletcher]Tina L. Fletcher's
Annotated Resource Library
Honors US History II since Reconstruction
Unit #1: Reconstruction/Constitution (1607-1877)
Essential Question: What does it mean to be an American? How has the Constitution the definition into what it is today?
Length: 3 weeks Grade: 11th grade Honors US History II Student Population: 25 MA Framework: USII.1 – USII.4
Major Topics: Draft of the Constitution (1776); Civil War (1861-1865); Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863-Dec. 18, 1865); Lincoln Administration; Slavery (1607-1865); Reconstruction (1863-1877)
Resources:
Book(s)/Novel(s):
Jubilee (497 pages)
· Walker, Margaret. Jubilee. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999.
· Relevancy: Jubilee offers an in-depth look at the one-drop rule’s impact on race relations before and after the Civil War. The one-drop rule basically states that any individual with any Black within them is considered Black.
· Key Terms: Slavery, bi-racial slaves, race relations, south (Georgia and Alabama), southern slavery during Civil War, family units during slavery, reconstruction
· Skills: Reading and possibly writing (if a writing piece is administered), critical thinking for class discussion
· Intended Use: I plan to use this resource during the section on slavery in helping students better understand some of the social interactions (between slave and slave master) occurring during slavery that they may be unfamiliar with.
· Who May Benefit: Students who are curious about the subject and those interested in learning a distant aspect of the time period will benefit in that they will better understand the social interaction between whites and Blacks.
When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection (149 pages)
· Yetman, Norman R., ed. When I Was a Slave : Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection. Minneapolis: Dover Publications, Incorporated, 2003.
· Relevancy: This text allows students to read first hand the experiences of slaves in America. The narratives are detailed and accounts for slaves from the North (i.e. Baltimore) and various states in the South. Great primary source resource for activities involving the study of slavery.
· Key Terms: slavery, servitude, injustice, etc.
· Skills: Intended Use: I plan to use this resource for the lesson pertaining to the study of slavery. It will serve as the ‘text’ station within the day’s activity.
· Who May Benefit: Students and teachers interested in learning more about the day-to-day lives of slaves will enjoy reading their book. Teachers interested in expanding their content knowledge of the subject will received a better understanding of the time period and the practice after reading this source.
The Social Fabric: American Life from 1607-1877
· Hartshorne, Thomas L., Robert A. Wheeler, and John H. Cary. The Social Fabric. New York: Longman, 2002.
· Relevancy: A select few of the primary resources included in this text will allow students to study the difference between lifestyles and living conditions in the North vs. the South during the Reconstruction period.
· Key Topics: Social justice, race relations, civil rights
· Skills: Reading, writing, note-taking skills (if necessary), and critical thinking
· Intended Use: I plan to use this source during the lesson on Reconstruction’s outcomes. This lesson will focus on the aftermath of the implication of the Reconstruction plans.
· Who May Benefit: Teachers and students who enjoy primary resources will enjoy this source. A teacher interested in reading more first-hand accounts will also gain knowledge from this text.
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South
· Reed, John S., and Dale V. Reed. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know/South. New York: Main Street Books, 1997.
· Relevancy: Sections of this text will give students a better understanding of term and stereotypes that define much of the South, its traditions, and norms.
· Key Topics: People, places, terms, practices, musical artists, actors/actresses, athletes, etc. (all from the south)
· Skills: Critical thinking, reading, note-taking, transferring gained knowledge to conversation
· Intended Use: I plan to use this source during the discussion on Reconstruction and the differences between the North and South before, during, and after the Civil War
· Who May Benefit: Students and teachers unfamiliar with cultural and social norms of the South (outside of stereotypes and ways in which the media has presented the South) will find this text to be of particular interest.
History of the United States
· Jenkins, Philip. History of the United States. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
· Relevancy: This book offers an in-depth look at particular moments within out country’s past. Written in a form similar to that of novels, it allows readers to learn the same content through textbooks but in a novel format. It covers American history content from 1492 to present but more specifically 1865-1996 for this unit.
· Key Topics: Civil War, Reconstruction, Conquest of the Far West, Industrialism, Urbanization, Crisis’ of the 1890s, Imperialism, Progressivism, WWI, Great Depression, New Deal, Global Crisis, WWII, Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, Age of Globalization
· Skills: Reading, Note-taking, Writing, Critical Thinking
· Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. I also plan to assign readings from the text for the students to utilize during Think-Pair-Share activities.
· Who May Benefit: Teachers! American History teachers who are interested in expanding their content knowledge will most likely find this text helpful.
A People’s History of the United States.
· Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
· http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
· Relevancy: Text covers much of the events occurring in America’s past from Columbus to the Clinton administration. It allows student and teachers to examine a more humanistic view of the American government, its leaders and their relationships with minority groups and others countries/foreign leaders. A People's History is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of -- and in the words of -- America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers.
· Key Topics: “The Other Civil War”, Vietnam, Socialist Change, Clinton administration
· Skills: Reading, Note-taking, Writing, Critical Thinking
· Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. I also plan to assign readings from the text for the students to utilize during Think-Pair-Share activities.
· Who May Benefit: Teachers and students who enjoy primary resources will enjoy this source. A teacher interested in reading more first-hand accounts will also gain knowledge from this text.
On-line Study Guide(s):
Facing History and Ourselves
· //http://www.facinghistory.org///
· Relevancy: This site allows students to review certain aspects of history through a more social conscious lens. It also allows students to link choices that America made to the morals they are taught in their day-to-day lives.
· Key Topics: Social justice, race relations, civil rights
· Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
· Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class.
· Who May Benefit: Teachers! American History teachers who are interested in expanding their content knowledge will most likely find this text helpful. World History teachers who will be teaching about WWI and WWII may also find reading Brinkley’s sections on the War’s helpful.
History Alive! Civil War and Reconstruction
· Website tutorial reference: http://tutorial.teachtci.com/
· Relevancy: This section of the History Alive! collection offers teachers the opportunity to cover much of the content focused on the Civil War and Reconstruction period while also offering activities and worksheets for class instruction.
· Key Terms: Civil War, Reconstruction,
· Skills: reading, writing, critical thinking, adding to classroom discussion
· Intended Use: I plan to use this resource pretty much throughout the entire first unit.
· Who May Benefit: All students will most likely benefit considering most of them may not have retained or gained any knowledge of the Civil War or Reconstruction period. As a teacher, this resource can also help further content knowledge of the two areas.
Films:
Amistad (152 minutes)
Gettysburg (254 minutes)
Glory (122 minutes)
Website(s):
The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution
· Monk, Linda R. The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution (Hyperion/A Stonesong Press Book). Copyright © 2003 Linda R. Monk and The Stonesong Press, Inc.· Unknown. "National Constitution." Interactive Constitution. 2003. 29 Oct. 2008 http://72.32.50.200/constitution/index_no_flash.php.
· Relevancy: A virtual representation of the constitution allows students to better interpret the constitution given the difficult jargon that appears within it. Definitions and explanations included help students comprehend the constitution on a different level and also helps them imply whether or not the proponents of the constitutions have been practiced correctly over time.
· Key Terms/Content: Constitution (preamble, articles, and amendments), Rights and Responsibilities
· Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
· Intended Use: I plan to use this site when teaching about the Constitution, Articles, or amendments – hopefully within the first two weeks of class. This will allow the students to have an option way in which to view the constitution rather than simply reading it on a sheet of paper.
· Who May Benefit: History or Government/Civic students can benefit. Educators interested in learning more about the founding documents may also benefit from the site.
Lincoln Douglas Presidential Debate(s)
· Unknown. "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858." National Park Service: U.S. Department of Interior. National Park Service. 30 Nov. 2008 http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/debates.htm
· For Teachers: http://www.nps.gov/liho/forteachers/index.htm
· Extra Resource: http://www.debates.org/index.html
· Relevancy: This site gives students an actual example of who Lincoln was (or at least who he says he is) in his work. Because many students receive information about Lincoln only through the mouths of their teachers, this site will allow them to see where he stood on certain issues in more depth.
· Key Topics: Presidential Debates, Elections, Elected Officials, etc.
· Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
· Intended Use: This site will be used during the lessons on the Civil War. At this point, I plan to have a mini lesson on Lincoln, his political and social ideologies, and the ways in which he reacted to certain situations.
· Who May Benefit: History and Government/Civics teachers, student who enjoy reading, and students that enjoy the use of primary resources.
Great African-American Studies Website
Reconstruction Site:
· Mintz, S. (2007). Digital History. Retrieved (insert the date your retrieved the information here without parentheses) from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/subtitles.cfm?titleID=28
· More specifically: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/reconstruction/index.cfm
· Recommended Sites from this site:
o Civil War and Reconstruction
The Library of Congress Learning Page
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/timeline/
civilwar/civilwar.html
o Freedman’s Bureau Online
http://www.freedmensbureau.com/Records of the Freedman’s Bureau, including extensive information about violence directed against African Americans. //
Slave Reparations Info
- Ogletree, Charles. Slave Reparations. Grand Rapids: Fulcrum, 2007.
- Henry, Charles P. Long Overdue : The Politics of Racial Reparations. New York: New York UP, 2007.
- Brophy, Alfred L. Reparations : Pro and Con. New York: Oxford UP, Incorporated, 2006.
- Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree’s work: http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?id=49&show=bibliography
- Relevancy: This information is very helpful in preparing the students and I for the slave reparations debate activity that is scheduled to take place on February 3. It also allows them to view the pros and cons of reparation along with viewing the current issue facing the debate of reparations.
- Key Topics: slavery, race relations, reparations, law, justice, equality
- Skills: Basic technological skills, ability to navigate a website, reading, writing
- Intended Use: Prior to conducting the slave reparations debate, I plan to utilize this site to enhance my content knowledge of the topic in order better mediate any conflicts that may occur between students when giving their opinions. I observed that this can be an issue if the teacher is not sure about a lot of things surrounding the topic.
· Who May Benefit: This site will benefit students or educators interested in the topic. History and Government/Civics teachers can also utilize Dr. Ogletree’s work in learning more about the most present battles over reparations (i.e. The Tulsa Riot of 1922 victims . . . film entitled Before they Die)Understanding Slavery
· http://www.understandingslavery.com/
· Slavery Alphabet Interactive Library: http://www.understandingslavery.com/learningresources/results/?id=4406
· Relevancy: Site gives a lot of information, including some replicas of primary resources, pertaining to many aspect of slavery (i.e. Trans-Atlantic slave trade, middle passage, emancipation, etc.)
· Key Topics: Trans-Atlantic slave trade, middle passage, emancipation, etc.
· Skills: Literacy; Critical, unbiased thinking (if possible); Cooperative Learning capabilities (if necessary)
· Intended Use: I plan to utilize this site to enhance my content knowledge of the topic in order better mediate any conflicts that may occur between students when giving their opinions.
· Who May Benefit: Anyone interested in learning more about the topic, educators and students alike, will most likely find this site to be extremely beneficial.
Picture Histories:
Post-Civil War ‘Slavery’ Photo Gallery
Textbooks
a) Increasing Background Knowledge/Content Knowledge
The Americans: Reconstruction through the 20th Century.__//
American History: A Survey
· Brinkley, Alan. American History Vol. 1 : A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002.
· Relevancy: Brinkley’s text covers, in detail, the events occurring between 1865 and 2001
· Key Topics: Reconstruction, Conquest of the Far West, Industrialism, Urbanization, Crisis’ of the 1890s, Imperialism, Progressivism, WWI, Great Depression, New Deal, Global Crisis, WWII, Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, Age of Globalization
· Skills: Reading, Note-taking, Writing, Critical Thinking
· Intended Use: I actually plan to use this source as a personal way to increase my content knowledge of the content that I will teach in class. I may jigsaw some reading from the text in order for students to gain a more in-dept content knowledge of particular sections if I feel that Brinkley explains better than The Americans.
· Who May Benefit: Teachers! American History teachers who are interested in expanding their content knowledge will most likely find this text helpful. World History teachers who will be teaching about WWI and WWII may also find reading Brinkley’s sections on the War’s helpful.
Additional Resources:
2-5 Worksheets
Honors US History II Miss Fletcher
Name _ Date _
Slavery Vocabulary
Honors US History II Miss Fletcher
Name _ Date _
Slavery Vocabulary Quiz
Directions: Match the vocabulary words on the left with the definitions on the right.
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Miss Tina Fletcher Honors US History II
Name Date _
From African to African-American:
The Many Faces of Slavery
Directions: Answer each question within each of the following sections, all of which pertain to today’s lesson on Slavery.
Station #1: Amistad
- How difficult was the journey?
#Station #2: Internet Resource
- What is the total estimate number of slaves taken from Africa?
- Name the three major locations for which slaves were taken after leaving Africa?
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- What percentages of slaves were taken to each location?
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Station #3: Photographs
Select (3) photos and answer the following questions for each.
Photo #1:
Photo #2:
Photo #3:
Station #4: Slave Narrative
US History II The Great Depression
[Contributed by Sherelle Ferguson]INTRODUCTION:
Unit Title: The Great Depression
Essential Questions: Was the Great Depression a disaster waiting to happen? What was the responsibility of the American government to its people during the depression?
Length: 2 weeks (10 lessons)
Grade: 10th
Student population: 21 students, about 1/3 with IEPs
Guiding MA Frameworks: Us History II.11-13
Major Topics: Causes of the Great Depression; Stock Market Crash; Conservative, liberal, and radical solutions; Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt and 1932 election; Policies and programs of the New Deal era, legacy of the New Deal
RESOURCES:
Comprehensive Materials
1. McDougal Littell, Inc (2007). The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century, Teacher’s Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. [TEXTBOOK/TEACHER RESOURCE]
2. Goff, Brent. (2008) History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals. Teacher’s Curriculum Institute. [TEXTBOOK/TEACHER RESOURCE]
3. New Deal Network Photo Library. http://newdeal.feri.org/library/default.cfm [WEBSITE with PRIMARY SOURCES]
Photo library divided into topics such as: Art, Civilian Conservation Corps, Education, Tennessee Value Authority, and film. Each image includes bibliographic information as well as a short caption. High quality images.
The Stock Market and Crash of 1929
4. “Taking Stock of the Past in the Future.” http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19991018monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons [WEBSITE with PRIMARY SOURCES]
5. “Teaching a Stock Market Simulation.” MoneyInstructor.com. http://www.moneyinstructor.com/ls/msimulation.asp\ [SIMULATION/EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WEBSITE]
6. “Piggy Bank Stocks: Budding Tycoons Follow Market.” CNNfyi.com. 5 July 2000. http://edition.cnn.com/2000/fyi/news/07/05/piggybank.2/index.html
Experiences of Everyday Americans
7.Steinbeck, John. (2002). The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books. [HISTORICAL FICTION]
8. “Dear Mrs. Roosevelt.” http://newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/index.htm [WEBSITE with PRIMARY SOURCES]
9. Agee, James and Walker Evans. (1940) Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. [NON-FICTION with PHOTOGRAPHY/TEACHER RESOURCE]
10. Terkel, Studs (2000). Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. [ORAL HISTORY]
11. “Surviving the Dust Bowl.” (1998). PBS Home Video: WGBH Educational Foundation. (Can be ordered at http://www.shoppbs.org/home/index.jsp) [VIDEO]
12. “America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photos from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945.” American Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html [VISUAL/PHOTOGRAPHY]
13. Thomas, Jesse O. “Will the New Deal be a Square Deal for the Negro?” (1933) Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life. On http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/32_f_roosevelt/psources/ps_squarefornegro.html [PRIMARY SOURCE on WEBSITE]
· 3,164 word article, high-school reading level
· An African American journal, Opportunity, examines New Deal policies and calls for fair treatment for blacks. Students examine effects of New Deal on different members of society—allows them to see multiple perspectives.
· Students could answer guided reading questions/analyze the source as well as use to answer question on summative assessment about the experience of African-Americans during Depression. Students could write a letter to FDR detailing how the New Deal needs should be altered to be more inclusive.
FDR and Evaluating the New Deal
14. “Audio Fireside Chats with Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Washington Post Coverage of the Financial Crisis. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/economy-watch/fireside-chats/ [AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIAL]
15. Katznelson, Ira. (2006). When Affirmative Action was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. [NON-FICTION for TEACHERS]
Culture in the 1930s
16. “America in the 1930s.” American Studies, University of Virginia. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/front.html [AUDIOVISUAL and RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS]
17. “This Land is Your Land: Rural Music and the Depression.” American Studies, University of Virginia. http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7E1930s/RADIO/c_w/cw-front.html [AUDIO-VISUAL]
- Website explores the evolution of traditional rural music into the commercial genre of Country and Western in the context of the Depression. Highlights the music’s appeal in a time of hardship
- Includes student-friendly info pages with images and songs. Students look at primary sources and understand how popular culture connects to social realities
- Could be used as part of a research project on culture in the 1930s or could use music of Woody Guthrie to play in class and analyze lyrics (link to: http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/20thcentury/photography/guthrie.html for recordings)
Beneficial for musical learnersWorld War II
[Contributed by Helsa Irizarry]